' 

. 


MAX    DAKTED    FORWARD    WITH    UPLIFTED    ARM,    AND    STRUCK    WITH 
ALL  HIS  MIGHT.  — P.  270. 


JACK  IN  THE  BUSH 


A  SUMMER  ON  A  SALMON  RIVER 


BY 

ROBERT   GRANT 

AUTHOR  OF   "JACK   HALL,"   "FACE   TO   FACE,"    "THE   CONFESSIONS 
OF  A   FRIVOLOUS   GIRL,"   ETC. 


BOSTON 
JORDAN,    MARSH    &    COMPANY 

1888 


COPYRIGHT,  1888, 
BY  JORDAN,  MARSH  &  CO. 


BAND   AVERY   COMPANY, 

ELECTROTYPERS   AND  PRINTERS, 

BOSTON. 


CONTENTS. 


G-- 


CHAPTEK    I. 

PAGE 

OFF  TO  THE  WOODS 9 


CHAPTER    II. 
THE  FIRST  NIGHT  IN  CAMP .30 

CHAPTER    III. 
"  HIM  BRIGHT  SALMON  "         ......      70 

CHAPTER    IV. 
SETTLING  DOWN 11° 

CHAPTER  V. 
THE  FOURTH  OF  JULY 149 

CHAPTER  VI. 

AT  THE  BIG  SALMON  HOLE 199 

7 


M578544 


8  CONTEXTS. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

PAGE 

THE  RIVALS 242 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
"  INJUN  FALLS  " 297 

CHAPTER    IX. 
WHO  WON  THE  RIFLE     ...  ,    347 


JACK    IN    THE    BUSH. 


CHAPTER  I. 

OFF    TO    THE   WOODS. 

IF  you  will  look  at  the  map,  and  observe  the 
course  of  the  St.  Lawrence  River,  you  will  see 
that,  after  passing  the  City  of  Quebec,  as  it 
grows  broader  it  gradually  bends  to  the  east ; 
and  that  where  it  empties  into  the  gulf  of  the 
same  name,  the  whole  right-hand  coast  falls 
away,  describing  a  curve  which  does  not  cease 
until  it  unites  with  the  eastern  shore  line  of 
the  Dominion.  The  tongue  of  land  thus  formed, 
lying  between  the  St.  Lawrence  on  the  north 
west,  and  the  Bay  of  Chaleur  on  the  southeast, 
and. shaped  not  unlike  the  end  of  a  hockey,  is  a 
part  of  the  Province  of  Quebec,  and  is,  save  for 
the  occasional  fishing  villages  on  the  coast,  an 

9 


10  JACK  IN  THE  BUSH. 

unsettled  tract  of  country,  almost  uninhabited, 
and  covered  with  forests,  among  which  perpetual 
snow  reigns  from  October  until  June. 

Yet,  uninviting  as  it  seems  from  the  stand 
point  of  civilization,  the  sportsman  can  find  in 
this  domain  many  of  the  wild  creatures,  both 
birds  and  fish,  which  avoid  the  neighborhood  of 
man.  Throughout  it  arid  the  northern  portion 
of  New  Brunswick,  the  Canadian  province  adjoin 
ing  on  the  south,  bears  and  caribou  and  many 
varieties  of  small  game  are  abundant.  But  that 
which  distinguishes  the  region  more  especially 
is  the  presence  of  the  salmon.  This  splendid  fish 
makes  its  summer  home  in  the  rivers  which 
empty  themselves  along  the  curving  shore  from 
the  banks  of  the  St.  Lawrence  to  the  Straits  of 
Northumberland.  Apart  from  the  attractions  of 
sport,  there  is  magnificent  scenery  in  these  Cana 
dian  woods,  —  pine-clad  mountains,  cascades  and 
stretches  of  foaming  water  adapted  to  try  the 
skill  of  canoe-men ;  and,  to  interest  one  who  sails 
along  the  coast  in  search  of  a  harbor,  bold  head 
lands  and  tall  precipices,  against  which  the  sea 
dashes  itself  viciously,  even  when  smiling. 


OFF  TO   THE   WOODS.  11 

Mr.  John  Holt,  —  a  college  graduate  of  thirty- 
five,  —  in  looking  out  for  a  site  for  his  summer 
school,  happened  to  apply  to  his  old  friend  and 
chum  Randolph  Russell,  whose  splendid  physique 
and  bronzed  skin  were  in  keeping  with  the  repu 
tation  he  had  won  as  a  hunter  of  big  game  in 
many  lands. 

44 1  wish,"  Mr.  Holt  said,  "  to  find  some  place 
where  I  can  take  half  a  dozen  boys  to  spend  the 
summer,  with  a  prospect  of  bracing  air  and  good 
sport.  I  have  a  plan  for  a  summer  school." 

"A  school  in  summer!"  ejaculated  Colonel 
Russell.  "  Don't  they  get  study  enough  during 
the  rest  of  the  year?" 

"  I  don't  wonder  you  are  not  prepossessed  in 
its  favor  at  first  blush,"  answered  his  friend. 
44  Neither  were  the  boys  until  it  was  explained 
that  the  term  4  school '  in  this  case  did  not  imply 
lessons  in  the  usual  sense.  I've,  had  the  idea  for 
some  time  that  there  are  a  great  many  parents 
at  a  loss  how  to  provide  their  sons  during  the 
holidays  with  healthful  occupation.  If  one  were 
going  to  Europe  or  to  some  fashionable  watering- 
place,  or  were  obliged  to  spend  the  summer  in 


12  JACK  IN   THE   BUSH. 

town,  or  a  child  were  delicate  and  needed  some 
invigorating  change,  it  seemed  to  me  as  though 
it  would  certainly  be  a  boon  to  have  a  young 
man  like  myself  come  and  say,  4  Let  me  take  your 
boy  for  eight  weeks  into  the  back-woods.  He 
will  have  pleasant  companions,  the  best  of  air, 
simple  food,  and  whatever  discipline  he  needs. 
I  will  bring  him  back  to  you  brown  as  a  berry, 
and  in  excellent  condition  to  resume  his  studies.' 
Accordingly  I  acted  upon  my  theory,  with  the 
result  that  I  have  six  pupils  engaged  for  the 
season,  and  could  have  more  were  I  willing  to 
undertake  the  responsibility  of  a  large  number. 
Now,  I've  come  to  you  to  tell  me  where  to  go  to." 

"  Quite  right.  I  must  consider,"  said  the  Col 
onel.  "  Six  boys  together  in  the  woods !  You 
will  have  your  hands  full,  my  dear  fellow." 

u  Perhaps ;  but  I  shall  enjoy  the  experience. 
I  trust  we  shall  all  enjoy  it,  and  if  I  can  hit  on 
the  right  spot  I  feel  sure  we  shall  have  a  capital 
time.  The  difficulty  is  to  find  a  camping-ground 
which  combines  fresh  air  and  beautiful  surround 
ings  with  sport.  I  can  think  of  half  a  dozen 
places  where  we  should  have  beautiful  scenery 


^  TO   THE   WOODS.  13 

and  plenty  of  ozone,  but  the  boys  would  come 
home  next  to  empty-handed  in  the  way  of  fish 
and  birds.  I  don't  want  to  go  to  a  place  which  is 
fished  out  and  shot  out." 

"  Precisely,  and  it  is  not  very  easy  to  find  now 
adays  a  place  such  as  you  have  in  view.  But  I 
happen  to  know  of  an  excellent  one  if  you  don't 
object  to  going  some  distance  from  home." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  4  some  distance,'  — 
Central  Africa  or  the  jungles  of  India?  " 

"  If  you  like  ;  but  I  had  especially  in  mind  a 
salmon  river  in  the  wilds  of  Canada." 

"  A  salmon  river  !     That  sounds  well." 

"  I  happen  to  be  the  lessee  of  the  fishing-rights 
on  one  of  the  rivers  in  the  county  of  Gaspe*,  in 
the  far  northeastern  corner  of  the  Province  of 
Quebec,"  continued  the  Colonel,  "and  I  should  be 
very  glad  to  have  you  and  the  six  boys  enjoy 
them  with  me  this  summer.  It  takes  about  three 
nights  and  three  days  to  get  there  ;  but  I  can 
promise  you  fine  sport  unless  there  is  an  unusually 
poor  run  of  fish." 

"  The  very  thing,  I  should  say.  But  are  you 
not  rashly  flying  in  the  face  of  Providence  in 


14  JACK  IX  THE  BUSH. 

making  such  a  proposal?  As  you  said  yourself 
just  now,  think  of  six  boys  together  in  the  woods ! 
You  will  not  have  a  moment's  peace." 

"  I  guess  I  can  stand  them  if  you  can." 

"  You  forget  that  it  is  my  profession  to  stand 
them,"  answered  Mr.  Holt. 

"  And  you  forget  that  I  have  faced  nearly  every 
variety  of  formidable  creature  the  world  over, — 
lions,  tigers,  orang-outangs,  and  what  not." 

"I  give  in,  then;  for  I  can  guarantee,  I  think, 
that  my  boys  are  not  so  formidable  as  all  that. 
Indeed,  I  believe  them  to  be  very  good  fellows. 
Before  accepting  unequivocally,  however,  I  should 
like  to  make  the  condition  that  we  rough  it  a 
little.  I  imagine  that  an  old  sportsman  like  your 
self  does  not  surround  himself  with  superfluous 
assistants,  but  I  should  like  to  have  as  few  as  it  is 
possible  to  get  along  with.  My  idea  is  that  the 
boys  should  do  their  own  tent-building  and  row 
ing  and  cooking,  with  a  woodsman  or  two  to  show 
them  how." 

"  With  all  my  heart,"  said  the  Colonel,  puffing 
at  his  pipe  by  way  of  vigorous  approbation  of  this 
sentiment.  "  The  river  is  a  bit  steep  in  spots,  but 


OFF  TO   THE   WOODS.  15 

if  you're  ready  to  take  hold  and  do  some  poling 
yourself  we  ought  to  get  on  capitally  with  the 
help  only  of  William  Patterson,  who  looks  after 
my  traps  at  Gaspe  Basin,  and  his  son  Jimmy." 

"  I'm  game  for  any  amount  of  work,"  said  Mr. 
Holt. 

"  I'll  write  to-morrow  and  tell  William  that  we 
are  coming.  Who  are  your  bovs,  by  the  way  ?  " 

"  There's  Jack  Hall  from  Boston,  whom  you 
know  already,  I  think,  and  a  friend  of  his  who 
rejoices  in  the  nickname  of  4  Dubsy '  Perkins, 
though  he  was  christened  .Samuel.  Then  there's 
a  St.  Louis  lad  named  Haseltine  who  is  at  the 
same  boarding-school  as  Jack,  two  New  Yorkers 
Max  and  Joe  Fearing,  and  Tom  Binney  from 
Philadelphia,  —  a  very  manly  appearing  set,  take 
them  all  together,  though  my  knowledge  of  them 
is  necessarily  superficial.  The  younger  Fearing  is 
about  fourteen,  and  the  others  not  far  from 
sixteen." 

"Well,  we'll  make  men  of  them,"  said  the 
Colonel. 

"  If  I  had  known  I  was  to  have  your  co-opera 
tion,  my  dear  Randolph,  I  should  have  charged 


16  JACK  IN   THE   BUSH. 

a  larger  tuition  fee.  When  my  pupils  hear  that 
they  are  to  go  into  camp  with  one  who  has  killed 
bears  and  tigers  in  hand-to-hand  combat,  the 
expedition  will  become  very  popular." 

As  a  result  of  this  conversation,  the  two  gentle 
men  and  the  six  boys,  whose  names  you  have 
been  told,  set  out  one  evening  in  the  latter  part 
of  June  for  Gaspe*  Basin,  the  village  close  to 
which  Colonel  Russell's  river  emptied  into  the 
sea.  A  night  in  a  sleeping-car  brought  them  to 
Montreal.  There  they  spent  the  day,  and  in 
the  afternoon  they  took  the  boat  down  the  St. 
Lawrence  as  far  as  Quebec,  where  the  boys  were 
thrilled  at  the  approach  in  the  early  morning 
to  the  magnificent  heights  towering  above  the 
river,  at  the  base  of  which  the  city  is  built,  — 
one  of  the  grand  views  of  the  world.  There 
was  no  time,  however,  to  spend  in  roaming  about 
the  picturesque  old  place,  for  the  train  was  in 
Waiting ;  and  away  they  went  flying  farther  north, 
following  the  curving  right  bank  of  the  river, 
past  French  Canadian  towns,  each  consisting  of 
a  bevy  of  cottages  nestled  about  a  vast  church 
with  a  tall  spire,  the  tin  covering  of  which  glis- 


OFF  TO  THE  WOODS.  17 

tened  in  the  sunshine.  In  the  afternoon  the  train 
branched  off  to  the  east,  and  immediately  they 
were  travelling  through  what  had  been  but  a 
few  years  before  virgin  wilds,  and  where  even 
now  the  engine  was  the  sole  explorer.  At  sunset 
time  the  scenery  became  more  attractive.  Moun 
tains  appeared,  and  through  the  windows  of  the 
cars  they  looked  down  on  a  spirited  river  winding 
its  way  along,  here  calmly,  and  at  the  next  glimpse 
alive  with  foaming  rapids. 

"  The  Metapedia,"  said  the  Colonel.  "  It  and 
the  Restigouche,  with  which  it  unites  a  few  miles 
below,  are  two  of  the  finest  salmon  rivers  in 
Canada." 

Presently  they  came  in  sight  of  a  canoe  with 
three  men  in  it,  the  middle  one  of  whom  was 
fishing,  while  the  two  others  held  the  boat  steady 
with  long  poles. 

"See,  see,"  Colonel  Russell  cried,  " he  has  a 
fish  on." 

"  A  salmon  ?  "  ejaculated  several  of  the  boys. 

"Certainly.  A  lively  one,  too,  by  the  way 
he  acts." 

Sure    enough,  the  angler's    rod  was  bent   at   a 


18  JACK   IN   THE    BUSH. 

considerable  angle,  and  the  line  seemed  to  be 
running  out  at  an  exceedingly  lively  pace.  All 
of  a  sudden,  just  as  they  were  abreast  of  the  canoe, 
something  jumped  out  of  the  water  and  flashed 
for  a  moment  nearly  a  hundred  yards  ahead. 

"Did  you  see  him  jump?"  cried  the  Colonel. 
"  Ah,  he  has  lost  him  !  " 

"  Where  ?  how  ?  "  exclaimed  the  boys  excitedly  ; 
but  the  canoe  was  no  longer  in  sight. 

u  The  salmon  leaped  out  of  water,  as  they  often 
will ;  and  I  could  tell  by  the  way  the  line  slack 
ened  that  he  was  off.  He  must  have  broken  the 
hook,  or  fallen  on  the  casting-line  and  snapped 
it,"  the  Colonel  explained.  "  Either  is  a  very 
frequent  occurrence/' 

An  hour  later  they  reached  Campbellton,  a 
small  railroad  town  at  the  western  extremity  of 
the  Bay  of  Chaleur,  and  on  the  dividing  line 
between  the  provinces  of  New  Brunswick  and 
Quebec,  where  they  passed  the  night ;  and  early 
in  the  morning  they  went  on  board  the  propeller 
"  Admiral,"  which  plies  between  Campbellton  and 
Gaspe*  Basin,  —  a  sixteen -hour  trip  in  average 
summer  weather,  with  allowance  for  half  a  dozen 


OFF   TO   THE   WOODS.  19 

stops  at  the  fishing-villages  along  the  coast.  It 
was  a  beautiful  day,  and  the  boys  were  at  first 
absorbed  in  looking  out  for  white  porpoises, 
which  are  to  be  seen  in  large  schools  through 
the  Bay  of  Chaleur ;  but,  though  they  failed  to 
catch  sight  of  any,  they  speedily  forgot  their 
disappointment  in  listening  to  the  account  which 
the  Colonel  gave  them  of  the  hard  existence  led 
by  the  fishermen,  and  the  wives  and  daughters 
of  the  fishermen,  who  inhabit  the  grand  but  iron 
shore  along  which  the  steamer  passed.  Long 
years  before,  he  said,  merchants  from  the  far 
distant  island  of  Jersey  had  erected  hereabouts 
a  series  of  establishments  for  the  catching  and 
cure  of  cod,  herring,  and  mackerel,  affording  a 
pitiful  livelihood  to  the  natives,  upon  whom 
Nature  smiles  but  for  a  brief  spell  in  summer, 
and  who  for  the  greater  part  of  the  year  are  shut 
out  from  intercourse  with  the  rest  of  the  world. 
Nevertheless,  the  villages  of  Port  Daniel,  Pabos, 
and  Paspebiac,  at  which  the  "  Admiral "  stopped 
for  a  few  moments,  looked  attractive  in  the  balmy 
June  sunshine,  with  their  big  storehouses  outlined 
against  the  green  hills. 


20  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

"Well,  boys,"  said  Mr.  Holt,  looking  at  his 
watch,  "  we  ought  to  be  at  Gaspe*  in  about  four 
hours ;  and  I  shall  take  this  opportunity,  when 
we  are  all  quietly  seated  together,  to  make  you 
a  little  address.  As  you  know,  your  parents 
have  intrusted  you  to  me  with  the  wish  that 
you  should  be  brought  back  refreshed  for  another 
year's  work  at  school.  I  expect  that  our  life  in 
camp  will  strengthen  ^our  muscles,  teach  you  to 
wait  upon  yourselves,  and  to  be  energetic  and 
courageous.  If  it  doesn't,  I  shall  be  disappointed. 
I  know  something  about  camping  out  myself,  and 
our  friend  here,  Colonel  Randolph  Russell,  knows 
all  that  is  worth  knowing  on  the  subject :  so  it 
will  be  any  boy's  own  fault  who  does  not  return 
at  the  end  of  the  summer  a  thorough  back 
woodsman.  But  though  I  hope  you  will  all  enjoy 
yourselves  mightily,'7  he  continued,  uyou  mustn't 
suppose  that  every  thing  will  be  easy  as  rolling 
off  a  log,  as  my  old  guide  used  to  say.  Although 
there  will  be  no  lessons  in  the  ordinary  sense 
of  the  word,  except  an  occasional  lecture  from 
me  or  Colonel  Russell  on  the  natural  history, 
for  instance,  of  the  fish  and  birds  that  may  be 


OFF   TO   THE    WOODS.  21 

killed  by  you,  I  shall  regard  you  all  as  scholars 
to  the  extent  that  I  shall  expect  you  to  keep 
up  to  the  mark  in  whatever  you  undertake, 
whether  it  be  angling  or  poling  or  gunning  or 
cooking.  For,  boys,  we  shall  have  to  cut  down 
trees,  and  build  our  own  fires,  and  cook  our  own 
dinners,  and  propel  our  own  canoes.  That  may 
sound  like  fun,  and  I  have  no  doubt  it  will  be 
fine  fun ;  but  there  will  be  times,  you  may  depend 
upon  it,  when  you  will  feel  that  you'd  rather  be 
doing  this,  that,  "or  the  other  than  the  especial 
thing  which  it  is  your  turn  to  do,  and  at  those 
times,  Jack  and  Tom  and  Max  and  Joe  and 
Frank  and  Sam,  you  must  show  yourselves  to 
be  the  manly,  unselfish  boys  I  believe  you  to  be. 
That's  all  I  have  to  say  at  present." 

The  silence  which  followed  was  broken  at 
length  by  Colonel  Russell's  remarking,  "  I've  got 
something  to  show  you,  boys ; "  after  which  he 
arose,  and,  going  below,  reappeared  presently 
with  a  fine  double-barrelled  shot-gun. 

"  There,"  he  said,  "  since  this  is  a  school,  I  am 
going  to  put  up  a  prize.  The  boy  who  makes 
the  best  record  shall  have  this." 


22  JACK  IN   THE   BUSH. 

A  murmur  of  satisfaction  ran  through  the 
group. 

"  My  eye  ! "  ejaculated  Haseltine. 

"Do  you  mean  the  boy  who  catches  the  most 
fish?"  asked  Jack  Hall  eagerly. 

u  Or  who  shoots  a  bear  ?  "  said  Tom  Binney. 

"  Or  the  boy  who  cooks  best  ? "  said  Dubsy 
Perkins. 

The  Colonel  pursed  up  his  lips  and  looked  wise. 
kk  What  I  said  was  the  boy  who  makes  the  best 
record,"  he  remarked  slowly.  "  That  may  be  the 
boy  who  catches  the  most  fish,  or  it  may  be 
the  boy  who  shoots  a  bear,  or  the  one  who  cooks 
the  best,  and  it  may  be  none  of  them.  There  are 
lots  of  things  that  go  to  make  up  a  good  record 
as  a  sportsman.  One  must  show  nerve  and  grit 
and  prudence  and  agility  and  common-sense  and 
handiness  and  a  great  many  other  qualities ;  and 
all  I  can  say  is,  that  the  boy  in  this  party  who 
exhibits  most  of  them  during  the  time  we  are  in 
the  woods  together  is  to  have  this  gun,  and  it  may 
be,  too,  he  will  not  have  shot  or  caught  a  single 
thing.  One  may  be  unlucky  and  yet  a  far  better 
sportsman  at  bottom  than  a  fellow  who  goes  out 


OFF   TO   THE  WOODS.  23 

walking  and  stumbles  on  a  moose,  or  who  runs 
across  fish  in  the  rising  mood  and  fills  his  canoe. 
Give  me  the  angler  who  can  make  fish  rise  when 
they  don't  want  to.  Hulloa,"  he  added,  breaking 
off,  "  there's  the  Perce  Rock." 

Every  one  followed  the  direction  of  his  finger. 
The  steamer  was  approaching  an  enormous  pic 
turesque  crag  towering  above  the  sea  at  a 
short  distance  from  the  shore,  remarkable  from 
the  fact  that  there  was  an  archway  through 
it  large  enough  to  afford  a  passage  to  a 
moderate  sized  skiff  without  peril  to  sail  or 
spar. 

"It  has  been  gradually  eaten  through  by  the 
action  of  the  waves  and  weather  on  the  stone," 
said  the  Colonel.  "Is  it  not  interesting?  Do 
you  see  those  dark  specks  which  cover  the  top  ? 
They  are  all  birds.  When  you  get  a  little  nearer, 
you  shall  see  something  curious." 

Thereupon  he  went  forward  and  said  a  few 
words  to  the  captain,  and  ten  minutes  later,  when 
the  "  Admiral "  was  but  a  short  distance  from  the 
rock,  boom  !  rang  the  noise  of  a  cannon  at  the 
steamer's  bow. 


24  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

Instantly  the  whole  army  of  birds,  of  which 
there  were  hundreds,  arose  in  a  white  flapping 
mass  and  soared  above  their  eyrie  with  wild 
screeches.  The  air  seemed  alive  with  them. 

u  What  are  they  ?  "  asked  one  of  the  boys. 

"  Gulls,  gannets,  and  cormorants  chiefly,  an 
swered  the  Colonel.  "  Birds  that  live  on  fish. 
That  broad,  flat  top  is  a  famous  place  for  their 
nests,  as  it  is  very  difficult  of  access.  People 
have  climbed  up  there,  however,  but  it  is  now 
forbidden  on  the  ground  of  peril  from  the  crum 
bling  rock.  See,  they  are  beginning  to  settle 
down  again." 

Some  of  the  feathered  tribe  seemed  more  slow 
to  become  tranquillized  than  others  ;  but  since 
there  was  no  repetition  of  the  disturbing  roar, 
the  whole  colony  was  at  rest  once  more  before 
many  minutes  had  elapsed. 

Not  long  after  the  "  Admiral  "  entered  Gaspe* 
Bay,  which  is  about  twenty  miles  in  length,  and 
at  nine  o'clock  came  to  anchor  in  the  Basin. 
Gaspe*  Basin,  in  one  corner  of  which  lies  the  town 
of  the  same  name,  is  a  land-locked  sheet  of  water, 
four  miles  long  and  averaging  half  a  mile  across, 


OFF   TO    THE    WOODS.  25 

a  veritable  salt  lake  shut  in  by  mountains  and 
verdant  slopes,  affording  a  perfect  harbor  to 
vessels  seeking  shelter  from  the  high  seas  of  the 
Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence.  The  little  town  has  one 
of  the  most  charming  situations  to  be  found  on 
the  continent,  and  the  entire  party  was  in  trans 
ports  with  the  view,  which  in  spite  of  the  lateness 
of  the  hour  was  still  apparent,  so  long  is  the 
twilight  in  this  longitude  during  the  early  weeks 
of  summer. 

They  were  met  at  the  wharf  by  a  wiry,  active- 
looking  man  with  a  brisk  eye,  who  shook  Colonel 
Russell  heartily  by  the  hand,  and  was  intro 
duced  by  him  as  "  George  Coffin,  one  of  the  best 
fellows  in  the  world." 

"  And  your  servant,  gentlemen,"  said  the  Cana 
dian,  who,  be  it  said,  had  much  of  the  Yankee 
in  his  build  and  manner. 

"  What  are  the  chances  for  fish,  George  ? " 
asked  the  Colonel. 

"  There's  a  terrible  sight  of  salmon  in  the 
river,"  was  the  answer. 

This  sounded  encouraging.  Leaving  George 
Coffin  to  collect  the  traps,  and  load  them  on  a 


26  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

cart  which  he  had  brought  for  the  purpose,  the 
Colonel  led  the  Way  up  the  wharf,  past  a  line 
of  villagers,  for  nearly  every  one  of  whom  he 
had  a  word  of  greeting,  stopping  for  a  minute  to 
exchange  salutations  with  a  red-faced  old  man 
with  a  pleasant,  though  somewhat  leering  smile, 
whom  he  addressed  as  Joe  Eden. 

"How  has  your  health  been,  Joe?" 

"Well,  I'm  not  what  I  used  to  be,  Colonel. 
But  you  ought  to  have  come  by  the  last  steamer. 
We've  had  the  governor-general  here.  He  left 
only  last  night  in  his  steam-yacht." 

"  Governor-general  of  what  ?  "  whispered  Jack 
Hall  to  Mr.  Holt. 

"  Of  Canada." 

"I  am  sorry  I  missed  him,"  responded  the 
Colonel. 

"  Ah,  yes, "  said  the  old  man  ;  "it  is  a 
pity! 

"He  was  down  to  my  shop,"  he  added,  indi 
cating  by  a  jerk  of  his  thumb  over  his  shoulder 
a  low  shanty-like  building  a  few  yards  distant, 
"  and  he  says  to  me,  '  Joe,  if  you  ever  come  to 
Ottawa,  don't  go  to  a  hotel  and  wait  for  an 


OFF   TO   THE  WOODS.  27 

invitation,  but  come  right  up  to  Rideau.'  That's 
what  I  call  hospitable." 

This  speech  seemed  to  amuse  the  Colonel,  who 
restrained  his  mirth  by  proceeding  to  introduce 
the  whole  party.  "Mr.  Eden  is  the  collector  of 
port  of  Gaspe,  boys,"  he  added. 

"What's  Rideau?"  inquired  Max  as  soon  as 
they  were  out  of  hearing. 

"The  governor-general's  residence  at  Ottawa," 
explained  the  Colonel,  bursting  into  laughter. 
"  Old  Joe's  a  great  character.  Dickens  would 
have  found  him  a  gold-mine." 

At  the  top  of  the  road  leading  down  to  the 
wharf  was  the  main,  and,  in  fact,  the  only  street 
of  the  town,  which  followed  the  shore  of  the 
basin.  Turning  to  the  left,  the  Colonel  soon 
branched  off,  and,  after  ascending  a  short  lane 
bordered  by  green  fields,  knocked  a  moment 
after  at  the  door  of  a  comfortable-looking  farm 
house. 

"It's  you,  Colonel,  is  it?"  said  the  pleasant- 
voiced  woman  who  came  to  the  door.  "  Welcome 
to  GaspeV' 

"  Glad   to   see    you,    Mrs.    Dumaresque.      I've 


28  JACK   IX   THE   BUSH. 

brought  you  an  army  of  boys  to  eat  you  out  of 
house  and  home.  This  is  my  friend  Mr.  Holt. 
Can  you  take  care  of  us  all?" 

"  There's  always  room  for  one  more  here, 
Colonel,  if  you'll  put  up  with  what  we've  got/' 

So  saying,  the  calm  but  smiling  hostess  ushered 
them  through  the  entry-way,  which  was  orna 
mented  with  a  huge  pair  of  caribou  horns,  into 
a  room  where  a  table  was  spread  for  supper.  A 
fine  wood  fire  roared  up  the  chimney  at  its 
further  end.  The  blaze  was  welcome  after  the 
exposure  to  the  cool  night  air.  The  boys  gath 
ered  about  the  capacious  hearth,  and  patted 
admiringly  a  large  greyhound  that  rubbed  against 
their  legs  in  friendly  fashion.  Mrs.  Dumaresque, 
who  had  vanished  into  the  adjoining  kitchen, 
reappeared  presently  with  a  dish  of  boiled  salmon, 
followed  by  a  maid  with  another  of  smoking  cods' 
tongues  and  sounds. 

"  Supper  is  ready,"  she  said. 

Appetites  were  not  wanting,  and  with  good 
reason,  for  the  fresh  fish  was  supplemented  by 
honest  bread,  new-laid  eggs,  and  milk  and  cream 
such  as  only  Jersey  cattle  can  give.  The  Jersey 


OFF   TO   THE   WOODS.  29 

merchants,  in  seeking  an  inhospitable  shore,  did 
not  leave  all  their  cows  at  home. 

"Make  the  most  of  this,  young  gentlemen," 
said  the  Colonel,  glancing  around  the  table.  "By 
this  time  to-morrow  we  shall  be  dependent  on 
our  own  exertions  for  our  daily  food." 

"Not  quite  so  bad  as  that,  surely,"  answered 
Mrs.  Dumaresque  with  a  quiet  laugh.  "  You'll 
take  a  few  Gaspe*  loaves  and  a  basket  of  eggs, 
just  to  guard  against  accidents,  you  know.  It 
wouldn't  do  to  have  you  starve." 


80  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE   FIRST   NIGHT    IN   CAMP. 

THE  six  boys  were  about  the  same  age,  be 
tween  fifteen  and  sixteen.  Jack  Hall  and  Frank 
Haseltine  were  half  way  through  their  course  at 
a  large  boarding-school  in  the  country,  concern 
ing  the  advantages  of  which  they  were  never 
weary  of  talking  to  the  other  four.  Jack,  who 
was  a  compactly  built,  sturdy-looking  fellow,  had 
ambition  to  win  laurels  as  an  oarsman,  while 
"  Hasy,"  as  everybody  called  him,  was  already 
regarded  as  a  base-ball  player  of  great  promise. 
In  appearance  Hasy  was  tall  and  rather  lanky ; 
but  he  had  a  bright,  intelligent  face  and  quaint, 
Western  ways,  that  easily  won  him  popularity. 
Dubsy  Perkins  was  an  old  crony  of  Jack's,  who 
in  the  days  before  Jack  went  to  Utopia  School 
had  fought  side  by  side  with  him  in  snow-ball 
fights  in  the  streets  of  Boston,  shared  the  glories 


THE   FIRST  NIGHT  IN  CAMP.  31 

and  disasters  of  the  sports  and  pranks  in  which 
they  were  mutually  engaged,  and  had  ever  been, 
and  was  still,  one  of  his  most  ardent  admirers. 
Max,  the  elder  of  the  two  Fearings,  though  the 
largest  of  the  six,  was  rather  fat  and  flabby  look 
ing.  Neither  he  nor  his  brother  had  seen  much 
of  other  boys  in  the  past,  having  been  educated 
until  recently  abroad.  Joe,  the  younger,  was  a 
sunny  little  lad,  and  both  of  them  had  excellent 
manners;  but  their  lack  of  knowledge  on  the 
subject  of  sports  had  prevented  them  from  be 
coming  immediately  intimate  with  the  rest,  who, 
moreover,  criticised  them  in  private  as  stuck  up, 
and  molly-coddled.  Lastly,  Tom  Binney  from 
Philadelphia  completed  the  party,  —  the  happy 
possessor  of  Bingo,  a  fox-terrier  of  minute  pro 
portions.  Tom  had  a  fondness  that  amounted 
almost  to  a  passion  for  creatures,  whether  birds, 
beasts,  fish,  reptiles,  or  insects  ;  and  he  excited 
much  envy  and  admiration  by  announcing  that 
he  had  at  home  a  bee-hive,  eight  rabbits,  four 
guinea-pigs,  another  pup,  a  parrot,  a  bat,  three 
snakes,  a  pony,  an  old  hornet's  nest,  and  an  aqua 
rium.  As  for  Bingo,  he  was  a  prodigy  :  he  would 


32  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

stand  on  his  legs  for  an  indefinite  period  when 
ordered,  jump  through  one's  hands,  pretend  to 
be  dead,  and,  apart  from  these  interesting  accom 
plishments,  was  a  sworn  foe  of  cats,  and  a  nimble 
pursuer  of  squirrels. 

The  next  morning  was  fine,  and  George  Coffin 
was  on  hand  immediately  after  breakfast  with 
two  buck-boards,  on  which  to  carry  them  about 
five  miles,  to  where  they  were  to  take  the  canoes. 
On  the  vehicle  which  George  drove  himself  were 
Jack,  Haseltine,  Tom  Binney,  and  Max. 

"  Clck,"  said  George,  and  the  raw-boned  white 
horse  started  off  at  a  rattling  rate,  which  soon 
caused  the  boys  to  hold  on  tight,  while  they 
wondered  how  such  an  ill-favored  looking  beast 
could  be  a  trotter.  The  road  followed  the  edge 
of  the  Basin ;  and  along  the  way  stretched  a  suc 
cession  of  small  cottages,  each  with  its  few  acres 
of  land,  which  in  most  instances  the  farmer  who 
owned  it  was  tilling,  seeking  to  make  the  most 
of  the  short  season.  Every  thing  looked  green; 
and  the  sheep  and  the  cows,  though  stunted  and 
draggled  by  the  hard  winter,  were  evidently 
enjoying  themselves. 


THE  FIRST  NIGHT  IN  CAMP.  33 

"What  are  those?"  asked  Haseltine,  pointing 
to  a  row  of  stakes  connected  by  net-work,  which 
ran  out  from  the  shore. 

"A  stand  of  nets,"  said  George.  "You'll  see 
'em  right  along  every  half  mile  or  so.  They're 
to  catch  the  salmon  with  as  they  go  up.  The 
Government  leases  'em  to  different  parties." 

"  How  do  they  catch  them  ?  "  asked  Tom,  who 
was  interested  in  anything  that  suggested  a  trap. 

"  The  meshes  are  about  the  color  of  the  water, 
and  the  fish  in  running  up  poke  their  noses  into 
'em,  and  get  cotched  by  the  gills  when  they  try 
to  back  out." 

"  Doesn't  it  kill  them  ? "  asked  Max  with  a 
shudder. 

"  No ;  it  only  holds  'em  until  some  one  comes 
along,  and  it  doesn't  hold  'em  always,  neither, 
for  they  break  through  sometimes.  The  critters 
are  cute,  too,  about  avoiding  the  nets.  I've  seen 
'em  smell  their  way  through  a  two-foot  passage, 
and  I  believe  some  of  'em  would  get  through  if 
the  river  was  barred  clear  across." 

"  I'd  like  to  take  a  live  salmon  home  with  me 
for  my  aquarium,"  said  Tom. 


34  JACK  IN  THE  BUSH. 

"He'd  die,"  said  Jack  stoutly,  "for  you  said 
your  aquarium  is  a  salt  one." 

"Salt  water  wouldn't  hurt  a  salmon,"  said 
George  Coffin,  "for  they  live  in  the  salt  water 
half  the  year.  Salmon  leave  the  river  about  Sep 
tember,  and  no  one  knows  exactly  where  they  go 
to.  Some  think  they  go  into  deep  water,  and 
some  that  they  cruise  about  the  coast.  But  come 
the  last  of  May,  and  the  ice  out  of  the  river, 
they're  back  running  in  by  hundreds;  and  the 
curious  thing  is,  they  never  make  mistakes. 
There's  three  salmon  rivers  emptying  into  Gasp6 
Bay,  and  it's  easy  to  tell  the  fish  apart ;  but  all 
the  years  I've  been  hauling  nets,  I  never  see  a 
fish  that  belonged  in  one  river  in  one  of  the 
other  rivers." 

"That's  mighty  funny,"  said  Tom.  "What 
do  they  ever  leave  the  river  for  ? " 

"  To  find  food.  When  a  salmon  runs  into  the 
river,  he's  fat  as  butter,  and  bright  an'  lively. 
But  from  then  on  he  eats  nothing,  and  gets 
more  and  more  logy,  until  after  spawning  time 
he's  peakish  as  a  Gaspe*  sheep." 

"  Pshaw  !  Of  course  they  eat  something.     How 


THE  FIRST  NIGHT  IN  CAMP.  35 

could  they  live  if  they  didn't  eat  anything?" 
exclaimed  Jack  incredulously.  "You  can't  fool 
us." 

"That's  so!"  said  Haseltine. 

"  Gospel  truth,  young  gentlemen.  I've  seen 
five  hundred  salmon  cut  open  in  this  river  if 
I've  seen  one,  and  I  never  found  anything 
more'n  a  little  yellow  liquid  inside  any  one  of 
'em.  Take  'em  now  fresh  run  and  you'll  come 
across  small  fish  and  crabs,  but  after  they've  been 
in  the  river  twenty-four  hours  there's  nothing 
left  in  their  stomachs." 

"  What  do  they  rise  at  flies  for  ? "  asked  Jack 
triumphantly. 

"The  only  flies  I  ever  see  'em  eat  is  the 
artificial  ones  yon  anglers  put  on,  and  they're  like 
no  flies  hereabouts.  What  makes  the  salmon 
rise  to  them's  the  strangest  part  of  it.  Some 
say  it's  anger,  and  some  say  it's  curiosity.  The 
trout,  now,  are  different.  There's  no  giving  'em 
enough  to  eat.  Many's  the  greedy  beggar  I've 
caught,  with  a  minnow  most  as  big  as  himself  in 
his  gullet." 

The  boys  pondered  over  these  statements   for 


36  JACK  IN  THE  BUSH. 

some  moments;  then  Tom,  winking  at  Jack, 
said,  — 

"I've  got  a  puzzle  I'd  like  to  show  you,  Mr. 
Coffin,  to  see  if  you'd  guess  it." 

Whereupon,  Tom  took  a  piece  of  paper  and  a 
pencil  from  his  pocket,  and  proceeded  to  draw 
a  large  square,  which,  by  a  line  across  and  a  line 
down  the  middle,  he  divided  into  four  smaller 
squares  of  the  same  size. 

"  There,"  he  continued ;  "  you'll  have  to  pay 
close  attention." 

"  Whoa ! "  said  George  Coffin  to  the  trotter ; 
and  having  pulled  up  the  horse  he  turned  round 
to  inspect  the  diagram  which  Tom,  who  was  on 
the  back  seat  between  Jack  and  Max,  wished 
him  to  look  at. 

"A  man  had  sixteen  animals,  horses,  cows, 
sheep,  and  donkeys,  —  four  of  each  kind,  —  and 
he  had  four  plats  of  ground  such  as  you  see  here. 
Into  the  first  he  put  the  four  horses,"  said  Tom, 
making  as  he  spoke  four  marks  with  his  pencil 
in  the  upper  left-hand  square  to  indicate  the 
animals  in  question. 

uThe  four  horses,"  repeated  George  Coffin 
after  him. 


THE   FIRST   NIGHT   IN   CAMP.  37 

"  Into  the  next  he  put  the  four  cows,  into  the 
next  the  four  sheep,"  continued  Tom,  making 
marks  accordingly,  "  and  into  the  fourth  the  four 
donkeys." 

"Stop  a  minute,"  exclaimed  George  as  Tom 
paused.  "  You  have  only  put  down  three 
donkeys." 

"  Because  you're  the  fourth,"  he  answered 
gleefully ;  and  the  words  were  followed  by  a 
burst  of  laughter  from  the  other  boys,  in  which 
the  victim  joined  as  soon  as  he  realized  the 
situation. 

"That  beats  anything  I've  heard  this  long 
time,"  said  George,  chuckling  convulsively.  "I 
rose  for  it  greedy  as  a  fresh  run  fish,  and 
swallowed  hook  and  all.  I've  got  to  look  out 
for  you  boys,  that's  evident." 

"  We  caught  Max  on  it  yesterday,"  said  Jack. 
"  H€  fell  into  the  trap  as  easily  as  you  did." 

A  few  minutes  later  they  stopped  at  a  small 
house,  from  which  a  short,  broad-shouldered  man 
dressed  in  homespun  came  out  to  meet  them. 
He  invited  the  boys  into  his  cabin,  where  his 
wife  refreshed  them  with  fresh  milk  and  delicious 


38  JACK   IX   THE  BUSH. 

bread  and  butter,  arid  where  they  were  presently 
joined  by  the  rest  of  the  party. 

"Is  it  true,  Colonel  Russell,"  asked  Jack 
between  two  mouthfuls,  "  that  salmon  eat  nothing 
after  they  come  into  the  river?  George  Coffin 
says  so,"  he  added,  waggishly  regarding  the 
worthy  Gasp£  man. 

"  Perfectly  true ;  and,  moreover,  you  may 
believe  everything  that  George  tells  you.  He's 
too  honest  to  deceive  willfully  even  a  baby.  — 
You  see  these  boys  are  accustomed  to  have  jokes 
played  on  them  at  school,"  added  the  Colonel  to 
his  henchman,  "  and  so  are  apt  not  to  trust  all 
they  hear." 

"  And  a  fine  joke  they  have  just  played  on  me," 
George  replied,  grinning  from  ear  to  ear. 

Explanation  caused  renewed  laughter,  and  then 
they  set  off  for  the  river,  which  was  but  a  few 
hundred  yards  from  the  house.  George  Coffin 
and  William  Annette  brought  down  the  lighter 
traps,  which  they  arranged  in  two  canoes  in 
waiting,  while  the  boys  made  the  acquaintance  of 
William  Patterson,  the  Colonel's  old  guide,  and  his 
son  Jimmy,  a  brawny,  bushy-whiskered  fellow. 


THE   FIRST   NIGHT   IK   CAMP.  39 

George  was  to  carry  the  main  luggage  into  camp 
on  a  cart,  and  two  of  the  boys  were  to  go  with 
him,  as  the  canoes  could  not  accommodate  the 
whole  party.  Lots  were  drawn,  and  it  fell  to 
Haseltine  and  Dubsy  to  accompany  George. 

In  the  first  canoe  to  start  were  Jimmy  Patterson 
and  Mr.  Holt  at  bow  and  stern  respectively,  in 
order  to  paddle,  and  Jack  arid  Tom  side  by 
side  in  the  middle.  The  river  at  this  point  looked 
like  a  lagoon,  being  broad  and  sluggish,  and  inter 
sected  by  strips  of  marshland  on  which  horses 
and  cows  were  feeding.  The  water  was  smooth 
as  a  mill-pond,  and  they  passed  a  number  more 
stands  of  nets,  reaching  out  sometimes  from  one 
bank  and  sometimes  from  the  other,  so  that  it 
seemed  as  though  the  poor  salmon  would  have  to 
be  very  cunning  to  escape  capture.  Some  of  the 
nets  had  wings,  as  they  were  called,  being  exten 
sions  running  at  right  angles  down  stream  in 
order  to  cut  off  any  fish  that  should  see  the 
danger  and  turn  aside. 

But  after  a  time  the  river  began  to  twist  and  to 
grow  narrower  and  shallower.  There  w^ere  no 
more  nets,  and  the  farms  were  fewer  in  number 


40  JACK  IN  THE  BUSH. 

and  meaner  in  appearance.  The  land  was  cov 
ered  with  stumps  of  trees  only  partially  burned 
away.  Ahead  the  mountains  loomed  up  in  the 
distance.  The  air  was  softer,  and  the  savor  of 
the  sea  was  gone.  The  current  had  become  so 
strong  that  Mr.  Holt  and  Jimmy,  instead  of  con 
tinuing  to  paddle,  turned  the  canoe  in  shore  and 
took  to  poling. 

Have  you  ever  tried  to  pole  a  canoe  ?  It  may 
look  easy,  but  it  requires  both  muscle  and  knack 
to  make  a  success  of  it  on  a  salmon  river.  Mr. 
Holt  evidently  understood  that  he  was  in  for 
warm  work,  as  he  stripped  himself  down  to  his 
flannel  shirt  before  beginning.  The  poles  were 
some  eight  feet  long,  and  capped  with  iron  points. 
They  thrust  them  against  the  bottom  on  one  side 
of  the  gunwale,  and  leaning  on  them  shoved  the 
canoe  ahead  by  main  force.  At  first  it  was  a 
simple  affair  enough,  but  presently  they  came  to 
places  where  the  rocks  below  the  surface  caused 
the  water  to  foam.  These  were  rapids,  and  to  get 
the  canoe  over  them  was  no  easy  matter.  Jack 
and  Tom  felt  a  little  nervous  at  first,  for  fear  of  a 
ducking,  but  soon  got  used  to  the  bumping  and 


THE  FIRST   NIGHT   IN  CAMP.  41 

wobbling  incident  to  climbing  up  stream.  Mean 
while  they  asked  all  sorts  of  questions,  which 
Jimmy  Patterson  was  very  amiable  in  answering. 

"Are  there  bears  in  these  woods?"  asked  Jack 
at  the  first  opportunity.  "  I'd  give  anything  to 
shoot  a  bear." 

"  Or  catch  a  live  cub,"  said  Tom,  whose  fond 
ness  for  live-stock  was  always  uppermost. 

"  There's  bear  in  plenty,  and  you  might  see  one 
if  you're  lucky,"  answered  Jimmy.  "  But  winter's 
the  time  to  come  here  hunting.  The  hills  are  full 
of  caribou." 

Just  then  they  heard  a  whir,  and  a  bird  resem 
bling  a  duck  started  up  from  the  water  ahead 
and  flew  past  them,  protruding  its  long  neck  and 
uttering  a  dismal  squawking. 

"If  we'd  only  a  gun  handy,  I'd  make  short 
work  of  you,  my  lady,"  said  Jimmy,  as  he  watched 
her  scoot  down  the  river  for  a  few  hundred  yards 
and  then  alight.  "  Those  ere  noxious  birds  do 
more  harm  to  the  salmon  in  a  season  than  fifty 
stand  of  nets,"  he  added,  turning  the  head  of  the 
canoe,  and  making  a  sudden  but  ineffectual  dab 
with  his  pole. 


42  JACK   IX   THE   BUSH. 

"  Oh,  catch  one,  catch  one,  do !  "  cried  Tom, 
who  was  the  first  to  spy  the  brood  of  yellow  fluffy 
ducklings  struggling  to  reach  the  shore  as  fast  as 
their  feeble  legs  would  carry  them. 

"  Don't  hurt  them,  Jimmy,"  urged  Mr.  Holt. 

But  the  ducklings,  despite  their  callowness, 
were  nimble.  Scattering  in  every  direction  they 
buried  themselves  in  the  underbrush  at  the  margin 
before  the  canoe  was  able  to  overtake  them. 

"  What  were  they  ?  "  asked  the  boys  eagerly, 
when  the  last  had  disappeared. 

"  Shell-drakes.  They  live  on  the  young  salmon. 
If  I  were  Colonel  Russell,  Fd  offer  a  reward  for 
every  one  that  was  shot,  and  clear  the  river," 
answered  Jimmy. 

"  What  made  the  mother  bird  desert  them  ?  " 
asked  Tom. 

"  She  thought  in  noticing  her  we  should  not  see 
her  brood  until  they  had  time  to  get  out  of  the 
way,  as  was  the  case,"  said  Mr.  Holt. 

As  they  proceeded,  the  rapids  became  more  fre 
quent  and  steeper,  and  sometimes  the  river  ahead 
looked  broken  up  into  a  foaming  torrent.  At 
these  patches  Jimmy  and  Mr.  Holt  hugged  the 


THE   FIRST   NIGHT   IN   CAMP.  43 

shore  pretty  closely,  and  the  clatter  of  their  iron- 
shod  poles  against  the  rocks  showed  that  progress 
was  difficult.  Every  now  and  then  the  guide 
would  call  attention  to  some  stretch  of  calmer 
water  at  the  foot  of  a  rough  place  as  a  pool  where 
the  fish  lay.  All  these  pools  had  their  names. 
There  was  Miller's  Landing  and  Gros  Bouleau 
(which  is  French  for  Big  Birch),  and  the  Basket 
Pool  and  Dan's  Hut,  —  the  last  so  styled  from  a 
bark  shanty  on  the  bank  in  which  the  guardian  of 
the  river  was  in  the  habit  of  keeping  look-out.  Tn 
one  or  two  of  these  Jimmy  said  that  he  could 
perceive  salmon,  and  Jack  and  Torn  were  able  to 
make  out  sundry  dark  streaks  which  he  assured 
them  were  salmon.  The  boys  were  eager  to  begin 
fishing  at  once,  but  Mr.  Holt  declared  that  it  was 
out  of  the  question,  for  the  rods  were  not  unpacked, 
and  every  moment  of  time  was  needed  in  order  to 
get  the  camp  to  rights  before  dark. 

"  You  forget,"  said  the  master,  "  that  there  are 
trees  to  be  cut  down,  and  fires  to  be  built,  and 
tents  to  be  pitched,  and  supper  to  be  cooked." 

"  May  I  cut  down  the  trees,  Mr.  Holt  ?  "  asked 
Jack. 


44  JACK  IN  THE  BUSH. 

"  As  many  as  you  like,  young  man.  But  don't 
be  too  confident  as  to  being  able  to  supply  us 
with  fire-wood  for  the  night  by  your  unaided 
efforts.  One  has  to  learn  even  to  cut  down 
trees." 

"I  guess  I've  muscle  enough,"  Jack  answered 
with  self-reliance,  exhibiting  his  arm  bent  up,  and 
patting  the  biceps. 

They  had  started  from  Annette's  at  ten,  and 
about  four  they  came  in  sight  of  a  low  one-storied 
cabin,  a  few  rods  from  the  water,  some  thirty  feet 
in  length,  surmounted  by  a  flag-pole. 

"  There's  the  camp,"  cried  Jimmy,  to  the  great 
delight  of  the  boys,  who  had  been  inquiring  at 
intervals  of  five  minutes  during  the  past  hour,  as 
to  when  they  would  arrive.  As  they  drew  nearer, 
they  perceived  George  Coffin  and  Dubsy  and 
Haseltine  awaiting  them,  the  two  last  named 
waving  their  arms  by  way  of  welcome.  Jack  and 
Tom  were  delighted  to  step  ashore,  and  to  stretch 
their  cramped  legs  in  running  up  the  slope  to 
examine  the  little  cabin,  into  which  they  were 
jubilantly  ushered  by  their  companions.  There 
were  two  rooms,  one  supplied  with  bunks,  and 


THE   FIRST   NIGHT   IN   CAMP.  45 

the  other  intended  for  a  dining-room.  The  walls 
were  covered  with  maps  and  fishing-scores  and 
various  newspaper  cuttings  of  interest  to  sports 
men.  Outside  the  prospect  was  very  attractive. 
They  were  in  the  heart  of  the  woods,  and 
surrounded  in  the  near  distance  by  pine-clad 
mountains. 

Over  a  circumference  of  several  yards  around 
the  cabin  the  trees  had  been  thinned  out  and  the 
underbrush  cleared  away.  There  were  rustic 
seats,  and  a  table  with  a  surface  of  smooth  birch- 
bark  surmounted  by  a  rustic  canopy,  not  far  from 
which  an  accumulation  of  blackened  stones 
marked  the  site  of  a  fire-place.  Beyond,  as 
Dubsy,  who  had  already  made  investigations, 
explained,  was  an  ice-house  full  of  frozen  snow,  in 
which  George  had  bestowed  the  butter  and  eggs 
that  had  been  brought  in  the  cart. 

The  other  canoe  had  arrived  by  this  time,  and 
the  Colonel,  accompanied  by  Max  and  Joe,  came 
up  the  bank,  followed  by  old  William,  who  was 
grinning  with  pleasure  at  the  sight  of  the  six 
boys  re  -  united.  After  a  short  consultation 
between  Colonel  Russell  and  Mr.  Holt,  it  was 


46  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

decided  that  Mr.  Holt  and  two  of  the  boys  should 
occupy  the  shanty,  and  that  the  rest  of  the  party 
should  be  quartered  in  tents. 

"  I  holloa  to  sleep  in  a  tent,"  cried  Jack. 

"  So  do  I,"  said  Dubsy. 

"  The  fairest  way  is  to  draw  lots,"  suggested 
the  Colonel ;  "  though  I  warn  the  boys  who  sleep 
outside  that  it  may  be  damp  when  it  rains,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  flies." 

These  did  not  seem  to  them  very  appalling  con 
siderations,  though  old  William  remarked  casually, 
with  a  glance  at  the  mosquito  netting  which 
protected  the  windows  of  the  shanty,  "  The  flies 
is  awful  wicked  this  time  of  year." 

There  were  already  a  good  many  mosquitoes 
humming  about  their  ears ;  but  the  boys  were  so 
intent  on  the  plans  for  pitching  camp,  that  they 
slapped  their  cheeks  and  brushed  away  the  tor 
mentors  without  much  ado.  Mr.  Holt  plucked 
six  pieces  of  grass,  which  he  clinched  in  his  hand 
so  as  to  let  only  the  ends  protrude.  Whoever 
drew  the  shortest  two  were  to  remain  in  the  cabin. 
Dubsy  and  Joe  Fearing  proved  to  be  the  unlucky 
ones,  as  it  was  so  popularly  considered.  George 


THE   FIRST   X1GHT   IN  CAMP.  47 

Coffin  had  unloaded  the  tents  from  the  cart. 
There  were  three,  —  one  for  the  Colonel,  and  the 
other  two  for  the  four  boys.  William  Patterson 
and  Jimmy  were  to  sleep  under  a  lean-to,  where 
they  would  be  protected  from  the  rain  and  have 
the  fire-place  at  their  feet.  As  for  George,  he 
would  spend  the  night  in  camp,  but  be  off  early 
in  the  morning. 

The  boys  were  much  absorbed  in  trying  to 
assist  old  William  and  George  remove  the  tents 
from  the  bags  in  which  they  were  packed,  and 
select  favorable  sites  for  them. 

In  the  mean  time  Mr.  Holt  was  unstrapping  the 
valises  and  untying  the  larger  rubber  bags  con 
taining  their  belongings,  in  order  to  get  at  the 
blankets  which  ought  to  be  aired  while  the 
sun  was  still  up.  All  was  bustle  and  eagerness 
among  the  youthful  helpers. 

Of  a  sudden  there  came  a  distant  hollow  sound, 
repeated  at  regular  intervals,  which  made  them 
prick  up  their  ears. 

"  What's  that  ?  "  cried  Jack. 

"It's  Colonel  Russell  and  Jimmy  chopping," 
said  old  William.  "  They  be  gone  for  logs." 


48  JACK   IN  THE   BUSH. 

"  O  Mr.  Holt,"  cried  Jack,  "  may  I  go  and  see 
them  ?  You  said  I  might  cut  down  a  tree." 

"  You  may  try  certainly,  Jack,"  was  the  answer. 
"  But  two  of  you  are  enough,"  Mr.  Holt  con 
tinued,  as  the  whole  six  were  on  the  point  of 
taking  advantage  of  this  permission.  "  Jack  and 
Hasy  may  go.  I  need  the  rest  of  you  to  help 
here.  We  should  have  a  pretty  state  of  things, 
if  every  time  you  saw  or  heard  anything  interest 
ing  you  were  all  to  drop  work  and  go  off  in  a 
body." 

The  two  boys  followed  the  direction  from  which 
the  ringing  of  the  axes  proceeded,  and  in  a  few 
moments  came  in  sight  of  the  choppers,  just  as  a 
magnificent  maple  was  tottering. 

"Look  out  —  look  out,"  cried  the  Colonel,  who 
spied  them,  pointing  as  he  shouted  to  the  side  to 
which  they  were  to  run. 

The  tree  quivered  irresolutely,  as  if  hesitating 
which  way  to  fall,  and  then  came  crashing  down 
at  a  comfortable  distance  from  where  the  two 
boys  were  standing.  The  Colonel  and  Jimmy 
leaning  on  their  axes  looked  flushed  and  happy, 
as  though  they  had  enjoyed  the  exercise. 


THE   FIRST   NIGHT   IN   CAMP.  49 

"  Let  me  try,"  said  Jack  resolutely. 

"  You  ?  "  said  the  Colonel  with  a  laugh. 

"  Mr.  Holt  said  I  might." 

"  All  right,  Mr.  Man,"  he  replied,  proffering  the 
axe. 

Jack  received  it  with  dignity,  feeling  a  little 
nettled  at  the  flippant  tone  manifested  by  his 
questioner.  "  Which  one  shall  I  cut  down  ?  "  he 
inquired  coolly,  as  he  swayed  the  weapon. 

"  You  have  the  forest  to  choose  from." 

Jack  put  his  left  foot  forward,  and  swinging  the 
blade  back  over  his  shoulder,  after  a  moment's 
hesitation  in  order  to  take  aim,  let  drive  with  vim 
at  a  handsome  mate  to  the  prostrate  maple. 
Somehow  the  effect  produced  was  disappointing. 
The  bark  was  wounded ;  but  the  blade,  instead  of 
cutting  a  deep  gash,  glanced  off  without  doing 
further  mischief. 

Jack  examined  the  edge  critically.  "  Is  it 
sharp  ?  "  he  inquired. 

"  I  ground  her  last  evening,"  said  Jimmy,  who 
also  looked  a  little  jocose. 

Again  Jack's  foot  went  forward,  and  he  smote 
with  an  air  of  determination,  and  with  such  effect 


50  JACK  IN  THE   BUSH. 

that  the  blade  at  the  end  of  the  stroke  was  fast  in 
the  wood.  Quickly  extricating  it,  he  braced  him 
self  firmly,  and  let  drive  once  more.  But  so  great 
was  his  energy  that  he  must  have  misjudged  his 
aim ;  for  the  axe  merely  grazed  the  trunk,  and 
Jack  went  toppling  over  among  the  underbrush, 
to  the  great  amusement  of  the  others. 

"Let's  see  you  try,"  said  the  victim  ruefully,  as 
he  picked  himself  up,  addressing  Haseltine. 

But  Haseltine  shook  his  head.  Like  most 
American  boys,  he  was  not  ashamed  to  admit 
that  he  could  not  do  a  thing.  Both  of  them 
stood  attentive  while  Jimmy,  at  the  Colonel's 
suggestion,  showed  how  a  tree  should  be  felled. 
Iii  the  first  place,  more  muscle  was  needed  than 
either  of  them  at  present  possessed  in  order  to  cut 
down  such  a  huge  specimen  as  Jack  had  picked  out 
except  after  much  exertion.  Then  too  there  was 
knack  about  it,  which  became  obvious  as  they 
watched  the  series  of  short,  swiftly  wielded 
strokes  that  made  the  chips  fly.  Little  b}^  little, 
Jimmy  hewed  out  a  great  gap  in  the  side  of  the 
maple.  Then  the  Colonel  put  in  a  few  alternate 
blows  ;  and  under  the  joint  work  of  demolition,  it 


HE  SMOTE  WITH  AN  AIR  OF  DETERMINATION.  —  P.  49. 


THE  FIRST  NIGHT   IN  CAMP.  53 

was  not  many  minutes  before  the  noble  tree  lay 
alongside  its  companion.  The  next  thing  was  to 
lop  off  the  boughs  and  strip  away  the  branches. 
Out  of  the  trunks  they  hewed  famous  logs  for  the 
fire-place  and  to  serve  as  a  frame-work  to  which 
to  fasten  the  canvas  stretchers  provided  for  those 
who  were  to  sleep  in  the  tents.  A  few  saplings 
supplied  the  best  of  tent-poles. 

Jack  and  Haseltine  assisted  to  carry  the 
wood  back  to  camp,  and  there  was  so  much 
of  it  that  they  had  to  return  for  another  load. 
Meantime  a  transformation  scene  was  taking 
place.  Sites  had  been  chosen  for  the  three 
tents  a  few  feet  from  one  another ;  and  holes 
had  been  dug,  in  each  of  which  an  upright 
forked  pole  was  fixed.  There  was  a  pole  in 
front  and  a  pole  behind,  and  between  the 
forks  another  cross  pole,  as  it  was  called,  was 
laid.  Over  this  the  canvas  was  spread,  and 
fastened  down  at  intervals  of  a  foot  or  so 
to  pegs  driven  in  the  earth.  Old  William 
appeared  with  his  arms  full  of  hemlock  boughs, 
which  he  proceeded  to  strew  over  the  ground 
inside  of  the  tents,  making  a  cool,  green,  and 


54  JACK  IN  THE   BUSH. 

deliriously  aromatic  carpet.  For  the  beds,  first 
a  rubber  blanket  was  laid  to  keep  out  the 
damp,  and  then  a  sort  of  bedstead,  manu 
factured  from  four  logs  placed  at  right  angles, 
to  which  the  stretchers  referred  to  were  tied; 
and  on  the  stretchers  one  could  lay  hemlock 
and  wraps  to  suit  his  fancy.  By  the  time  the 
tents  were  ready  for  occupancy,  twilight  was 
at  hand,  and  every  one  was  feeling  hungry. 
Old  William  was  to  cook  the  supper  this  first 
evening,  with  Tom  and  Max  as  his  assistants, 
or,  more  properly  speaking,  pupils.  The  others 
gathered  about  the  Colonel,  wrho  was  undoing 
some  of  his  fishing-tackle.  But  interesting  as 
was  the  exhibition,  the  boys  found  difficulty  in 
keeping  still,  owing  to  the  persistent  torture 
of  the  mosquitoes  and  flies. 

"  Jiminy ! "  cried  Jack,  dancing  from  one  leg 
to  another.  He  had  thrust  his  hands  deep 
into  his  trousers'  pockets,  and  had  wound  a 
handkerchief  about  his  neck,  but  there  were 
plenty  of  vulnerable  spots  left. 

"What's  the  matter,  Hall?"  asked  Colonel 
Russell,  who  was  taking  his  best  salmon  rod 


THE  FIRST  NIGHT   IN   CAMP.  55 

out  of  its  case  with  much  the  air  that  a  young 
mother  contemplates  her  baby. 

"The  mosquitoes  are   dreadful." 

"I'm  being  eaten  alive.  It's  agony,"  cried 
Dubsy,  in  confirmation  of  his  friend. 

"They've  bitten  through  my  stockings,"  said 
Haseltine. 

"You  should  take  off  your  low  shoes,  then," 
replied  the  Colonel,  in  answer  to  the  last 
exclamation.  "  You  can't  expect  the  flies  not 
to  bite  your  feet  if  you  don't  take  proper 
precautions.  They  are  pretty  wicked  though 
to-night,  that's  a  fact,"  he  continued,  making 
a  pass  with  his  hand  to  interrupt  a  mosquito 
that  was  feasting  on  his  forehead.  "  You  boys 
wait  a  minute,  and  I'll  fix  you  all  right.  —  Here, 
Jimmy,"  he  cried,  "start  up  a  smudge." 

"What's  a  smudge?"  asked  Jack,  in  whom 
the  appetite  for  information  was  not  dulled  by 
present  discomfort. 

"A  fire  of  damp  wood  and  leaves  or  bark, 
that'll  make  a  smoke.  It  drives  away  the 
flies,"  said  the  Colonel,  who  was  unstrapping 
his  fishing-box. 


56  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

"I  feel  as  if  red-hot  little  pins  were  being 
stuck  into  me  all  over,"  cried  Jack,  waving 
his  arms  savagely  to  drive  away  the  pests. 
"Get  away,  oh,  get  away!" 

"  Them's  sand-flies,"  said  Jimmy.  " 4  Bite 
'em  no  see  'em,'  that's  what  the  Injuns  call 
'em,  because  they're  so  small." 

The  boys  looked  at  their  hands.  "What! 
those  little  black  specks?" 

"  Yes,  those  are  sand-flies,"  said  the  Colonel, 
who  had  produced  a  round  tin  can,  "  and 
they're  terrible  torments,  too,  —  more  so  than 
even  the  black  fly  or  mosquito.  They  are 
worst  at  sunset  or  sunrise.  But  put  on  some 
of  this,  and  the  whole  tribe  will  fight  shy  of 
you,"  he  continued,  removing  the  cover  of  the 
can,  and  revealing  some  sticky  looking  stuff 
about  the  color  of  molasses,  and  the  consistency 
of  liquid  glue,  a  dab  of  which  he  proceeded 
to  rub  over  his  cheeks,  along  his  nose,  around 
his  neck,  and  behind  his  ears,  with  considerable 
gusto. 

"  It  looks  very  nasty,"  said  Mr.  Holt,  who  had 
just  then  joined  the  group. 


THE  FIRST  NIGHT  IN  CAMP.  57 

"It  smells  like  tar,"  said  Jack,  taking  a  sniff 
at  the  can. 

"  There's  tar  in  it,  and  oil  and  pennyroyal,  and 
it  is  rather  nasty  until  you  get  used  to  it ;  but 
there's  nothing  like  it  for  keeping  off  the  flies," 
said  the  Colonel,  exhibiting  his  face  which  was 
now  several  degrees  darker  than  usual,  giving 
him  much  the  appearance  of  an  oily  Indian. 
"Next?" 

"No,  thank  you.  I'll  put  up  with  the  flies  a 
little  longer,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Holt. 

"  I'll  give  you  just  five  minutes  after  the  sand- 
flies  fairly  get  to  work,  and  at  the  end  of  it 
you'll  be  begging  for  some,  on  your  bended 
knees,  my  dear  fellow." 

"  You  forget  that  I've  been  in  the  woods 
before." 

"  But  not  in  these  woods.  Just  mark  my 
words,  —  that's  all  I  ask  of  you." 

"  How  do  you  put  it  on  ?  "  asked  Jack,  after 
another  cautious  sniff. 

"Dip  your  fingers  in,  and  take  some.  What 
are  you  waiting  for,  a  silver  spoon  ? " 

Jack   obeyed    the    instruction,   and    began    to 


58  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

anoint  himself,  to  the  intense  interest  of  the 
others,  who,  one  by  one,  followed  his  example. 

"There,"  said  the  Colonel,  surveying  the  cop 
per-colored  quartette  complacently,  "with  the 
fishing-gloves  which  Mr.  Holt  has  brought  you 
to  protect  your  hands,  I  think  you'll  do." 

By  this  time  the  smudge  was  smoking  finely, 
and  the  boys  were  just  being  initiated  in  regard 
to  rods  and  reels,  when  the  cry  of  "supper!" 
reminded  them  that  they  had  forgotten  they 
were  hungry.  As  the  twilight  was  so  pleasant, 
it  had  been  decided  to  have  it  served  on  the 
table  out  of  doors,  whither  Max  and  Tom,  in 
the  proud  capacity  of  embryo  waiters,  were 
bearing  the  variety  of  tempting  edibles  which 
they  had  helped  to  cook.  Despite  Mr.  Holt's 
remark  that  to  eat  salmon  which  none  of  them 
had  caught  was  unsportsmanlike,  every  one,  he 
included,  consumed  with  a  rousing  appetite  the 
piece  of  fine  fish  Mrs.  Dumaresque  had  provided 
them  with  in  order  that  they  need  not  starve. 
There  were  fried  potatoes,  too,  and  fried  eggs, 
and  the  same  Gaspe*  bread  and  butter  which  had 
tasted  so  well  the  night  before,  and  hot  tea 


THE   FIRST  NIGHT   IN   CAMP.  59 

with  real  cream,  so  that  they  might  not  at  one 
fell  swoop  be  separated  from  the  luxuries  of 
civilization ;  and,  last  but  not  least,  large,  doughy 
flap-jacks,  which  Jimmy  not  inappropriately  spoke 
of  as  "  choke-dogs."  How  good  everything 
tasted,  and  how  heartily  they  ate !  Not  only 
the  boys,  but  Mr.  Holt  and  the  Colonel,  too, 
showed  themselves  such  famous  trenchermen, 
that  Max  and  Tom  were  glad  to  be  released 
from  the  fear  that,  if  they  were  kept  waiting 
much  longer,  there  would  be  nothing  left. 

Before  the  meal  was  over,  it  was  growing 
dusk,  and  jimmy  lighted  two  lanterns,  which  cast 
quaint  shadows  around  the  banquet  board,  but 
encouraged  the  mosquitoes  to  even  greater  energy 
in  the  way  of  getting  mixed  up  with  the  food, 
and  drowned  in  the  tea.  Thanks  to  the  Colonel's 
mixture,  every  one  but  Mr.  Holt  was  enabled 
to  keep  the  humming  torments  at  a  respectful 
distance.  He,  poor  man,  having  affected  for  a 
long  time  to  be  indifferent  to  their  attacks,  at 
last,  in  a  sudden  burst  of  suppressed  irritation, 
sprang  up,  exclaiming,  "  Where's  the  nasty  stuff? 
I  can't  endure  this  torture  any  longer." 


60  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

This  complete  triumph  of  the  Colonel,  as  well 
as  of  the  mosquitoes,  set  every  one  laughing. 
The  boys  all  followed  their  master  into  the 
shanty  to  behold  the  smearing  process.  He  took 
his  revenge  upon  them,  however,  as  soon  as  he 
was  anointed,  by  suggesting  overcoats.  The 
air  had  become  decidedly  chilly ;  and  even  the 
Colonel,  after  lighting  his  pipe,  directed  his  steps 
toward  the  crackling  fire  of  logs  which  the  guides 
had  started.  Jack  and  Dubsy  were  deputed  to 
learn  the  mysteries  of  dishwashing,  but  the  rest 
of  the  party  composed  themselves  around  the 
blaze.  The  boys,  sitting  in  a  row  with  their 
knees  drawn  up  to  their  chins,  put  one  in  mind 
of  a  detachment  of  wolves.  They  were,  one  and 
all,  entranced  with  their  surroundings.  On  every 
side  the  tall  trees,  shrouded  in  shadow,  supplied 
a  mysterious  gloom,  the  weird  effect  of  which 
was  heightened  by  the  melody  of  the  rushing 
river.  High  above  their  heads  the  sky  was 
bright  with  stars.  Old  William  and  George  and 
Jimmy  had  each  some  interesting  anecdote  to 
tell  of  former  experiences,  either  in  the  way  of 
salmon  fishing  or  canoeing  or  hunting  expedi- 


THE   FIRST   NIGHT   IN   CAMP.  61 

tions  in  the  winter-time  after  caribou ;  in  return 
for  which  the  Colonel  recalled  wonderful  adven 
tures  with  wild  boars  and  tigers  that  aroused 
every  one's  enthusiasm.  It  required,  indeed,  old 
William's  query,  "  At  what  hour  will  you  start 
in  the  morning,  sir  ? "  to  remind  them  of  time 
and  the  present. 

"  Yes,  we  must  see  about  that,"  said  the 
Colonel.  "  What  are  we  to  do  to-morrow,  Holt  ? 
You  are  the  chief  cook  and  grand  master  here. 
We  have  two  canoes  and  six  boys.  How  are 
we  to  manage?" 

"We  shall  have  to  take  turns  about  fishing, 
of  course,1'  said  Mr.  Holt.  "  Some  of  us  must 
look  after  the  camp.  I  suggest  that  you  and 
old  William  and  one  of  the  boys  go  up  or  down 
river  as  you  see  fit,  and  that  Jimmy  take  two 
more  with  him,  and  go  in  the  opposite  direc 
tion.  The  boys  that  go  with  Jimmy  are  to 
be  taught  how  to  pole  as  well  as  how  to  fish. 
I  and  the  other  three  will  look  after  things 
here." 

"That  sounds  well,"  said  the  Colonel;  and  after 
some  further  talk  it  was.  arranged  that  little 


62  JACK  IN  THE   BUSH. 

Joe  Fearing  was  to  go  with  him,  and  Jack  and 
Haseltine  with  Jimmy. 

It  was  ten  o'clock  by  this  time,  which  was 
very  late  for  camp,  Mr.  Holt  declared,  and  the 
boys  were  consigned  to  bed,  to  which,  in  spite 
of  their  fatigue,  they  were  loath  to  go.  Tom  and 
Max  were  to  sleep  in  one  tent,  and  Jack  and 
Haseltlne  in  another.  By  Mr.  Holt's  advice, 
they  had  all  been  fitted  out  before  starting  with 
so-called  Norfolk  jackets,  which  as  most  of  you 
know  are  plaited  blouses  belted  round  the  waist. 
Under  these  were  waistcoats  and  colored  flan 
nel  shirts  worn  over  thin  under-flannels.  Most 
of  them  had  knickerbockers  instead  of  ordinary 
trousers,  and  strong  laced  boots.  For  the  night, 
although  it  seemed  a  little  shivery  proceeding, 
they  took  off  everything  and  donned  pjamahs. 
Each  of  them  was  supplied  with  a  famous  pair 
of  blankets  in  which  to  roll  himself,  and  from  a 
framework  of  saplings  a  mosquito-netting  hung 
down  so  as  to  cover  each  stretcher. 

"Now,  Jack,"  said  the  Colonel,  who,  in  com 
pany  with  the  master,  was  superintending  the 
housing  of  the  boys  in  turn,  u  you'd  better  make 


THE   FIRST   NIGHT   IN   CAMP.  63 

sure  there  are  no  flies  under  your  canopy  before 
we  put  out  the  light.  The  beggars  are  sly,  and 
know  enough  to  keep  quiet  and  hide  themselves 
in  the  corners  of  the  netting.  I've  always  found 
the  best  way  to  prove  that  there  are  none  left  is 
to  place  the  lantern  beside  your  bare  big  toe, 
and  wait." 

This  suggestion  appealed  immensely  to  Jack 
and  Haseltine,  who  had  just  crept  under  the  net 
ting  as  circumspectly  as  possible,  after  having 
removed  the  fly-oil  from  their  faces  and  hands  by 
dint  of  somewhat  laborious  scrubbing,  and  who 
were  therefore  in  an  unprotected  condition.  They 
proceeded  accordingly  to  follow  the  directions 
given,  first,  however,  making  a  preliminary  search 
with  lanterns  all  over  their  prison -cells,  during 
which  they  succeeded  in  detecting  and  slaying 
several  low-lying,  able-bodied  mosquitoes.  But 
now  each  lay  still,  with  one  of  his  big  toes 
exposed  to  attack  close  beside  the  light  of  the 
candle.  The  Colonel  and  Mr.  Holt  with  smiling 
faces  stood  looking  on  in  silence  in  the  open  space 
between  the  two  stretchers.  For  some  moments 
there  was  perfect  stillness  in  the  tent;  but  just 


64  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

as  Jack  was  beginning  to  think  that  the  enemy 
was  entirely  shut  out,  a  large  fellow  stealthily 
descended  from  the  top  of  the  netting,  and  after  a 
gyration  or  two  above  the  tempting  lure  alighted. 
Quick  as  a  cat,  Jack  leaned  forward,  and  by  a 
clever  clap  of  the  hands  ended  the  existence  of 
the  miniature  vampire,  which,  startled  from  its 
feast,  was  seeking  to  escape  by  flight.  In  the 
vehemence  of  his  movements  he  managed,  how 
ever,  to  upset  and  extinguish  his  lantern,  which 
suggested  to  the  seniors  the  advisability  of  bring 
ing  the  still  hunt  to  an  end.  They  went  out, 
carrying  with  them  the  other  lantern. 

"  Good-night,  boys.1' 

"Good-night,  Mr.  Holt.  Good-night,  Colonel 
Russell." 

During  several  minutes  Jack  and  Haseltine 
chatted  merrily,  discussing  the  events  of  the  day ; 
but  by  degrees  the  conversation  flagged,  and 
Jack  on  his  part  became  fascinated  by  the  still 
ness  of  the  woods.  Every  sound  was  strangely 
distinct.  The  river  was  rushing  on  with  the 
same  hoarse  murmur,  and  every  now  and  then 
there  came  cries  from  afar,  which  he  associated 


THE   FIRST  NIGHT   IX   CAMP.  65 

with  beasts  and  birds.  The  noise  of  a  charred 
log  falling  in  the  smoldering  fire  sounded  like 
a  thud.  Instead  of  being  sleepy,  he  felt  wide 
awake.  Little  by  little  the  camp  noises  died 
away.  All  the  party  had  gone  to  bed,  and 
near  at  hand  only  the  embers  kept  up  a  low 
sputtering.  He  wondered  if  the  river  never  got 
tired  of  running  on  and  on  without  a  pause. 
How  pleasant  the  smell  of  the  hemlock  boughs 
was!  He  raised  himself  on  his  elbow,  and  lis 
tened. 

He  could  hear  his  companion's  regular  breath 
ing.  "  Hasy,"  he  whispered ;  but  Haseltine  was 
in  the  Land  of  Nod.  So  he  lay  down,  and  com 
posed  himself  in  his  blanket.  He  was  warm  and 
comfortable ;  why  did  he  not  sleep  ?  Perhaps 
it  was  the  tea.  He  began  to  wonder  what  a 
bear  would  do  if  it  should  run  across  the  camp. 
Hark!  what  was  that?  He  raised  himself  again 
to  listen.  There  was  a  loud  crackling  of  the 
twigs  close  at  hand,  and  he  could  hear  the  stamp 
ing  of  feet.  How  his  heart  was  beating!  The 
creature,  whatever  it  was,  was  perambulating 
around  the  tent.  Now  it  was  on  Haseltine's 


66  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

side.  Could  it  be  a  bear,  or  a  caribou,  or  a 
wildcat?  It  must  be  large,  for  it  made  a  terrific 
tramping.  If  he  only  had  a  gun !  What  ought 
he  to  do  ?  To  call  for  help  seemed  cowardly. 
The  noise  had  stopped  now,  and  everything  was 
still.  Where  could  the  beast  be?  All  of  a 
sudden  a  cold  tremor  seized  him,  and  he  shook 
like  an  aspen.  Right  in  the  doorway  of  the 
tent,  where  the  flap  was  folded  in  a  little  so  as 
to  leave  an  opening,  were  two  fierce,  blazing 
eyes  fixed  upon  him.  That  was  all  he  could 
see. 

Jack  dared  not  stir.  Thank  heavens !  he  was 
not  unarmed.  Instinctively  he  reached  out  for 
his  sheath-knife,  which  from  an  impulse  of 
caution  he  had  laid  beneath  his  stretcher 
before  getting  into  bed.  He  remembered  to 
have  read  that  wild  beasts  will  quail  under 
the  steady  glance  of  man,  and  he  resolved  that 
no  shrinking  on  his  part  should  be  an  incen 
tive  to  the  animal  to  leap  upon  him.  He  stared 
into  the  fiery  eyes  with  all  his  ability.  They 
were  a  greenish  yellow.  They  must  belong  to 
a  wildcat.  "  Cats "  old  William  had  called 


THE   FIRST   NIGHT   IN   CAMP.  67 

them,  in  a  blood-curdling  tone,  in  speaking 
after  supper  of  their  treacherous  qualities.  Of 
a  sudden  he  heard  his  companion  stir. 

"  Hasy,"  he  murmured  again  hoarsely. 

44  What  is  it?" 

"  Look  —  see  there." 

The  consciousness  that  an  ally  was  close  at 
hand  gave  Jack  courage,  and,  as  he  spoke,  he 
started  to  get  out  of  bed,  knife  in  hand;  but 
he  had  forgotten  the  mosquito  -  netting.  His 
progress  was  rudely  barred,  £nd  before  he 
could  extricate  himself  the  eyes  had  vanished. 

"What  is  it?"  Haseltine  was  asking.  He 
had  seen  nothing. 

But  Jack,  having  crawled  out  of  his  bed, 
proceeded  valiantly  to  throw  aside  the  tent- 
flap  and  step  outside.  He  clasped  his  knife 
firmly,  with  the  intention,  and  almost  with  the 
hope,  of  engaging  in  a  hand-to-hand  encounter 
with  the  disturber  of  his  rest.  He  looked 
stealthily  about  him.  It  was  lighter  than  when 
he  had  gone  to  bed,  for  the  moon  though  on  the 
wane  was  up,  and  the  open  expanse  which  lay 
between  him  and  the  river  was  clearly  ill u mi- 


68  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

nated.  He  could  see  nothing,  nor  could  he 
hear  a  sound  except  the  beating  of  his  own 
heart. 

"  What  are  you  up  to,  Jack  ? "  he  heard 
Haseltine  inquire. 

Just  then  there  was  a  stirring  to  the  left, — 
a  repetition  of  the  same  tramping  noise.  He 
looked  eagerly  in  the  direction  from  which  it 
proceeded.  The  tramping  ceased,  and  he  per 
ceived  sitting  on  its  hind  legs  erect  and  motion 
less  in  the  moonlight  a  large  hare.  For  a 
moment  the  twain  exchanged  contemplative 
glances,  then  the  quadruped  by  a  series  of 
bounds  such  as  had  served  to  excite  its  adver 
sary's  keen  apprehension  a  little  before  dis 
appeared  in  the  underbrush. 

"  Swanny  !  "  said  Jack  under  his  breath. 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  "  asked  Haseltine,  who, 
having  also  had  a  tussle  with  the  mosquito- 
netting,  had  only  just  got  upon  his  feet. 

"  I  thought  T  heard  a  bear  mousing  round 
the  tent,"  answered  Jack  reflectively,  "but  I 
guess  it  must  have  been  my  imagination." 

"Did  you  see  anything?"  asked  Haseltine. 


THE   FIRST   NIGHT   IN   CAMP.  69 

"I  saw  what  looked  like  a  pair  of  eyes,  but 
a  fellow  is  always  liable  to  be  mistaken." 

"Perhaps  it  was  a  nightmare." 

"  Yes,  I  guess  on  the  whole  it  must  have 
been,"  Jack  answered  eagerly.  "Those  choke- 
dogs  must  have  disagreed  with  me.  Good-night." 


70  JACK  IN  THE  BUSH. 


CHAPTER   III. 


SALMON  fishing,  unlike  some  other  kinds  of 
fishing,  does  not  require  particularly  early  rising ; 
that  is  to  say,  it  is  not  necessary  to  get  up  before 
the  sun  in  order  to  be  successful.  One  can  defer, 
indeed,  with  advantage  reaching  the  fishing- 
ground  until  the  lamp  of  day  has  climbed  above 
the  tree-tops  sufficiently  to  light  up  the  dark 
pool ;  for  the  salmon  are  chary  about  rising,  in 
the  piscatorial  sense  of  the  word,  until  certain 
that  night  is  gone.  If  one  begins  to  cast  by 
eight  o'clock  on  a  bright  morning,  it  is  time 
enough  for  an  angler  content  to  take  life  easily. 

Colonel  Russell  was  of  this  sort.  There  was 
no  one  more  ready  to  be  up  with  the  lark  (since 
authorities  unite  in  fixing  on  that  bird  as  the 
earliest  of  all  risers),  if  by  so  doing  he  could  gain 
any  advantage  in  the  way  of  sport ;  but,  as  he 


"HIM   BRIGHT   SALMON.''  71 

explained  to  the  party  at  breakfast,  he  had  never 
been  able  to  see  the  advantage  of  a  very  early 
start  merely  from  bravado.  He  was  in  excellent 
spirits,  as  was  indeed  every  one.  The  day  was 
clear,  and  gave  promise  of  not  being  too  warm. 
The  boys  had  slept  soundly,  and  were  loud  in 
their  praises  of  camp  life.  Even  Jack  had  passed 
a  comfortable  night,  all  things  considered;  but 
he  was  feeling  a  little  anxious  this  morning  as  to 
what  Haseltine  might  let  out  regarding  the  bear. 
They  had  been  waked  at  six,  and  a  sponge  bath 
at  the  river  brink  had  proved  very  refreshing, 
although  the  sand-flies  took  advantage  of  so  favor 
able  an  opportunity  to  do  some  savage  biting, 
and  the  water  was  still  icy  in  consequence  of  the 
but  lately  melted  snows.  Several  of  the  boys 
were  eager  to  plunge  into  the  river  in  order  to 
prove  their  ability  to  defy  the  current  after  the 
manner  of  Horatius;  but  Mr.  Holt  issued  a 
general  order  to  the  effect  that  no  one  should 
venture  beyond  his  knees,  which  put  a  stop  to 
such  aspirations  for  the  time  being.  Breakfast 
was  prepared  by  Mr.  Holt  and  Dubsy,  while 
Max  was  taken  under  Jimmy's  wing  to  receive  a 


72  JACK   IX  THE   BUSH. 

lesson  in  wood-chopping.  No  one  was  to  be 
idle.  Those  who  fished  to-day  would  work  on 
the  morrow.  Meanwhile,  the  fortunate  ones 
were  absorbed  in  arranging  the  tackle,  concerning 
which  Jack,  Haseltine,  and  Joe  were  equally  and 
profoundly  ignorant.  Mr.  Holt  had  provided 
them  each  with  a  rod,  a  reel,  a  silk  line  one  hun 
dred  and  fifty  yards  in  length,  and  a  book  of 
flies.  With  eager  eyes  they  watched  the  Colonel 
put  together  his  split  bamboo,  smearing  the  fer 
rule  of  each  joint  with  soap,  in  order  that  it 
might  come  apart  easily  when  he  should  wish  to 
take  it  to  pieces. 

"  That's  a  stunning  pole,"  said  Jack. 

"  A  what  ?  "  asked  the  Colonel. 

"  A  stunning  fishing-pole." 

"  Call  it  a  rod,  young  man  —  call  it  a  rod. 
When  you  go  perching  or  pickereling  with  clams 
or  mummy-chunks  for  bait,  you  may  call  the 
stalwart  instrument  by  means  of  which  you  yank 
the  fish  out  of  the  water  a  fishing-pole  if  you  like. 
But  this,"  he  said,  —  exhibiting  with  pride  his 
seventeen-foot  bamboo,  which,  as  he  swayed  it, 
looked  all  nerves  and  sensibility  —  "is  a  rod,  if 
you  please." 


"HIM   BRIGHT   SALMON."  73 

Every  one  laughed ;  but  Jack's  mortification 
was  only  momentary,  so  much  interested  was  he 
in  the  preparations.  He,  as  did  the  others,  took 
the  rod  into  his  hands  to  see  how  beautifully  it 
was  balanced.  It  was  of  a  straw  color,  well 
polished  and  in  four  joints,  including  the  tip, 
which  appeared  very  delicate  and  flexible. 

"I  should  think  a  big  fish  would  break  that 
off  snap,"  said  Hasy. 

"Many's  the  thirty-pound  salmon  I've  landed 
with  it,"  said  the  Colonel.  "  I  never  broke  but 
one  tip,  and  that  was  because  the  fish  —  only  a 
small  one,  too,  —  ran  under  the  canoe.  You  see 
the  strain  is  regulated  by  the  reel.  Very  little 
pressure  will  start  it,"  he  said,  producing  a  large 
rubber  reel  which  he  proceeded  to  fasten  on  just 
above  the  butt.  Then  he  gave  a  pull  at  the  line, 
which  ran  off  with  a  whir  that  thrilled  the 
boys. 

"  There's  no  music  more  pleasant  to  a  sports 
man  than  that,"  he  continued,  as  he  passed  the 
oiled  silk  line  along  the  rod  through  the  rings 
provided  for  it,  and  brought  it  down  again  to 
within  a  yard  from  his  hands,  after  which  he 


74  JACK   IX   THE   BUSH. 

rested  the  rod  against  one  of  the  tent-poles,  and 
asked  Joe  to  fetch  him  a  cup  of  water.  While 
this  was  being  brought,  the  Colonel  took  out  a  tin 
box  from  one  of  the  partitions  of  his  fishing-case, 
which  was  subdivided  with  a  view  to  holding  his 
tackle  conveniently.  This  proved  to  contain  a 
number  of  flat  square  paper  packages.  In  the 
upper  one  of  these  was  a  collection  of  coils  of 
white  cat-gut. 

"  Casting-lines,"  he  said,  forestalling  a  question. 
He  picked  out  three  of  these,  and  after  undoing 
the  kinks  dropped  them  into  the  cup  of  water 
which  had  just  arrived.  "  They  have  to  be 
soaked  before  they're  used,  or  they're  liable  to 
snap,"  he  continued. 

In  the  other  package  there  was  an  assortment 
of  artificial  flies  which  the  Colonel  opened  for  in 
spection.  These  were  of  different  sizes,  according 
to  the  size  of  the  hook,  but  the  few  which  the 
Colonel  selected  to  put  in  his  fly-book  were  not 
larger  than  big  trout  flies.  They  were  made  up 
of  various  colors,  some  gaudy  and  others  modest, 
not  to  say  dull ;  and  they  had  curious  names  such 
as  "Jock  Scott,"  "Silver  Doctor,"  "Fairy," 


"HIM   BRIGHT   SALMON."  75 

"  Butcher,"  and  "  Cock  Robin,"  to  the  enumera 
tion  of  which  the  boys  listened  with  wide-open 
mouths. 

"Which  shall  you  fish  with  to-day?"  asked 
little  Joe. 

"  A  '  Jock  Scott '  to  begin  with.  That's  about 
the  best  fly  in  the  long  run.  If  they  won't  take 
that,  they're  very  apt  to  refuse  everything." 

The  "  Jock  Scott "  was  one  of  the  prettiest  and 
most  brilliant,  having  a  black  and  orange  body, 
and  a  wing  made  up  of  feathers  from  the  jungle- 
cock,  the  blue  macaw,  the  golden  pheasant,  and  a 
number  of  other  birds. 

The  Colonel  after  waiting  a  few  moments  took 
one  of  the  casting-lines  out  of  the  water.  It  was 
soft  and  flexible  now.  Putting  its  loop  through 
the  eye  of  the  Jock  Scott,  he  fastened  them 
together.  Then  he  picked  up  what  looked  like  a 
brass  thermometer  with  a  great  hook  at  the  end 
of  it,  and  interlocking  it  with  the  barb  of  the  fly, 
said  to  Jack,  — 

"  Take  the  other  end  of  the  casting-line  in  your 
hand,  and  after  it  is  taut  pull  on  it  gently  until  I 
tell  you  to  stop." 


76  JACK  IN  THE   BUSH. 

Jack  obeyed  orders. 

"  A  little  harder." 

The  gut  was  stretched  tightly  now,  and  the 
others,  who  were  looking  at  the  scales  in  the 
Colonel's  hand,  could  see  the  indicator  move. 

"  A  little  harder." 

"  It's  up  to  seven,"  said  Hasy  impressively. 

"  A  little  harder." 

Again  the  indicator  moved  a  trifle,  and  then 
suddenly  re-acted  with  a  click.  Jack  found  him 
self  with  a  piece  of  the  casting-line  in  his  grasp, 
staring  in  bewildered  surprise.  It  had  snapped 
in  two. 

"  Bah ! "  said  the  Colonel.  "  It  ought  to  stand 
eight  pounds,  though  it  would  never  have  such  a 
strain.  It's  a  very  difficult  matter  to  get  first-rate 
gut."  The  next  proved  to  be  a  better  piece  ;  and 
the  Colonel  as  he  fastened  it  to  the  silk  line 
explained,  in  answer  to  an  inquiry  on  the  part  of 
Joe,  that  the  casting-line  was  used  because  it  was 
so  nearly  the  color  of  the  water  that  it  escaped 
the  notice  of  the  fish.  Just  then  Jimmy  appeared 
with  some  fine  twine  which  he  was  waxing  vigor 
ously.  This  proved  to  be  for  Jack's  rod,  which 


"HIM   BRIGHT   SALMON."  77 

was  a  spliced  one  ;  that  is  to  say,  the  joints,  instead 
of  fitting  into  one  another  in  socket  fashion  like 
those  of  the  Colonel's,  had  to  be  laid  over  one 
another  and  tied  together.  It  was  of  green-heart, 
which  many  consider  even  more  springy  and  satis 
factory  than  the  bamboo,  while  very  much  more 
inexpensive.  Splicing  is  quite  a  lengthy  process, 
for  the  twine  has  to  be  wound  exactly  and  tightly ; 
and  while  Jimmy  was  showing  Jack  how  to  do  it, 
the  Colonel  and  Mr.  Holt  put  together  the  rods 
for  Hasy  and  Joe,  which  were  of  lancewood.  All 
the  rods  had  been  selected  by  Mr.  Holt  under 
Colonel  Russell's  supervision,  and  the  Colonel, 
upon  examining  each  with  a  critical  eye  after  they 
were  ready  for  use,  pronounced  himself  unable  to 
say  which  seemed  the  best,  they  were  all  so  well 
proportioned  and  supple.  He  even  declared  that 
there  was  very  little  to  choose  between  any  one 
of  them  and  his  own  precious  bamboo,  though 
to  be  sure  they  were  all  a  foot  shorter,  in  order  to 
suit  the  stature  of  the  boys. 

"  There's  only  one  disadvantage  about  a  spliced 
rod,"  he  added,  as  he  manipulated  Jack's,  "the 
trouble  there  is  in  taking  it  apart,  or  rather  in 


78  JACK  IN   THE   BUSH. 

putting  it  together,  which  is  sometimes  inconven 
ient.  But  for  the  balance  and  limber  action,  there 
is  nothing  to  surpass  it.  That's  a  beautiful  rod, 
young  man,  —  not  pole,  please  take  notice." 

By  the  time  all  was  ready  for  departure,  it  was 
eight  o'clock.  Old  William  and  Jimmy  had  each 
cut  a  stout  stick,  and  firmly  set  into  it  one  of  the 
gaffs  produced  by  the  Colonel  from  his  tent, — 
vicious  looking  steel  hooks,  whose  sharp  points 
were  protected  by  corks  for  the  time  being.  Mr. 
Holt  and  the  three  boys  who  were  to  stay  behind 
went  down  to  the  water's  edge  to  see  the  anglers 
off. 

"  Good-by.     Good  luck." 

A  moment  later  the  swiftly  gliding  canoe  passed 
round  the  bend  in  the  river,  leaving  the  Colonel 
and  Joe  on  the  point  of  coming  to  anchor  at  the 
Camp  pool,  which  they  were  to  fish  before  going 
up. 

"  Isn't  it  fun  ?  "  said  Jack,  as  they  flew  along  on 
the  swift  current. 

"  Glorious  !"  murmured  Haseltine. 

After  about  ten  minutes  Jimmy  stopped  pad 
dling  abreast  of  a  high  bank  on  one  side  of  the 


"HIM   BRIGHT  SALMON."  79 

stream  just  at  the  foot  of  a  steep  rapid,  and  lifting 
the  stone  tied  to  a  rope  which  he  had  beside  him 
for  an  anchor  dropped  it  softly  into  the  water. 

"  Is  it  a  pool  ?  "•  asked  Jack. 

"  Yes,  the  High  Bank,  and  a  likely  place  to  get 
salmon,"  the  guide  replied  as  he  paid  out  the 
necessary  slack. 

The  boys  grasped  their  rods  eagerly  ;  but,  as 
Jimmy  explained  to  them,  it  was  out  of  the  ques 
tion  for  both  of  them  to  fish  at  the  same  time. 
They  must  cast  turn  and  turn  about,  each  for 
a  little  while  and  then  the  other.  He  would  show 
them  how,  for  casting  was  no  easy  matter  to  learn. 
So  Jack  relinquished  his  green-heart,  and  watched 
Jimmy  unwind  a  few  yards  of  line  by  holding  the 
tip  close  to  the  water  after  the  current  had  taken 
the  fly,  and  jerking  it  gently  until  the  reel  started. 
When  some  six  or  eight  yards  had  been  thus  freed 
and  carried  down  river,  he  suddenly  flung  the 
rod  with  both  hands,  so  that  the  point  went 
straight  up  into  the  air  a  little  over  one  shoulder, 
and  the  line  flew  far  behind ;  then  after  a  scarcely 
perceptible  pause  brought  the  rod  back  again  by 
a  quick  yet  deliberate  sweep  and  turn  of  the  wrist, 


80  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

in  such  a  way  that  the  fly  came  shooting  forward 
and  alighted  on  the  surface  first  as  lightly  as  a 
feather. 

"  You  should  cast  across  the  current,  not  dead 
ahead.  In  that  way  your  fly  '11  be  carried  down 
so  as  to  look  natural." 

After  the  line  had  swung  round  so  that  it 
was  running  straight  down  stream,  Jimmy  let 
out  another  few  inches  from  the  reel,  and  cast 
again.  This,  he  repeated  at  intervals  of  about  a 
minute. 

"  Feel  a  bite  ?  "  asked  Hasy. 

"  Salmon  rise,  they  don't  bite,"  observed  Jack 
sententiously. 

kt  How  do  you  know?  " 

"  Because  I  heard  Colonel  Russell  say  so." 

"  You  needn't  talk,  anyway,  with  your  l  fishing- 
pole.'  " 

"  Ancient  history,"  retorted  Jack.  He  was 
pleased  to  have  an  opportunity  to  get  even  with 
Hasy ;  for,  devoted  friends  as  they  were  at  board 
ing-school,  there  was  naturally  a  generous  rivalry 
between  them.  But  it  was  scarcely  prudent  of 
him,  all  the  same,  in  view  of  the  episode  of  the 


"HIM   BRIGHT   SALMON."  81 

night  before.  "  Let  sleeping  dogs  lie,"  —  to  say 
nothing  of  bears,  —  is  an  excellent  motto. 

"  You  wait,  that's  all,"  said  Hasy  enigmatically 
after  a  pause,  too  intent  evidently  in  watching 
Jimmy  cast  to  indulge  in  further  repartee,  yet 
wishing  to  give  warning  that  he  reserved  the  right 
of  renewing  the  colloquy  at  some  future  time. 
Meanwhile,  although  the  line  flew  out  famously, 
and  the  fly  lighted  noiselessly  as  one  could  desire, 
there  was  no  sign  of  a  fish. 

"  Let  me  try  now,"  said  Jack.  "  I  guess  I  can 
cast  all  right." 

"I'll  reel  in  some  first.  You'd  better  begin 
with  a  short  line,"  said  Jimmy. 

Jack  stood  up  with  his  legs  a  little  apart  as  he 
had  seen  Jimmy  do,  and  grasped  the  rod  with 
both  hands,  one  above  the  reel  and  one  below  it. 

"  Be  careful  now  not  to  tumble  over  and  upset 
the  canoe,"  said  Jimmy  by  way  of  caution. 

The  experience  with  the  axe  had  given  Jack 
somewhat  less  confidence  in  his  ability  to  accom 
plish  wonders  off-hand  in  untrodden  fields,  but 
pride  forbade  him  to  suggest  the  possibility  of 
failure. 


82  JACK   IN  THE   BUSH. 

"How  shall  I  know  when  a  salmon  bites  —  I 
mean  rises?"  he  added  hastily. 

"  Smarty ! "  observed  Haseltine  with  a  short 
laugh. 

"  You'll  know  fast  enough.  Be  careful  not  to 
jerk  the  fly  out  of  his  mouth,  though,  when  you 
feel  him.  He'll  hook  himself  nine  times  in  ten, 
but  it's  just  as  well  to  turn  your  wrist  a  bit  at 
first.  Easy,  easy,  or  you'll  scare  every  fish  in  the 
pool,"  Jimmy  added,  as  line,  casting-line,  arid  fly 
fell  in  a  bunch  on  the  surface  with  a  splash. 
Jack  had  lashed  with  the  rod  as  though  it  were 
a  base-ball  bat,  so  anxious  was  he  to  make  a  long 
cast.  The  second  time  he  was  much  more  delib 
erate,  and  though  the  line  and  fly  alighted  simul 
taneously  it  was  without  noise.  He  followed 
Jimmy's  directions  to  let  the  current  take  the 
fly  as  far  as  it  would,  and  to  undulate  the  rod 
slightly  in  order  to  produce  the  effect  of  an  insect 
moving.  He  then  made  several  casts,  which  were 
so  far  successful  that  the  fly  reached  the  water  in 
the  end,  which  without  elating  him  gave  him  a 
little  self-reliance.  After  every  one  of  these  casts 
he  let  out  a  few  inches  more  line,  until  there  was 


"HIM    BRIGHT   SALMON."  83 

now  almost  as  much  out  as  Jimmy  had  used. 
There  was  still  no  sign  of  a  fish. 

"  Cast  across  a  little  farther.  They  may  be 
lying  on  that  side  of  the  pool,"  said  Jimmy. 

Jack  loosened  another  bit  of  line,  and  clinch 
ing  his  teeth  cast  with  some  vim,  intending  to 
cover  new  ground  ;  but  as  he  started  to  propel 
the  fly  forward  after  the  upward  sweep  he  was 
suddenly  all  but  pulled  off  his  feet,  and  the  tip  of 
his  rod  was  bent  violently  backwards. 

"You've  got  a  big  fellow  this  time,"  said 
Jimmy  with  a  laugh. 

Jack  certainly  had.  His  fly  was  caught  in  one 
of  the  branches  of  a  tree  that  projected  out  from 
the  shore  overhead.  "  That's  a  bite,  not  a  rise,  I 
guess,"  said  Haseltine  with  a  chuckle. 

Jack  was  so  nettled  by  the  misadventure  that 
he  began  to  pull  and  jerk  somewhat  roughly  on 
the  line ,  but  Jimmy  took  it  from  his  hand, 
and  after  a  few  moments  managed  to  shake  it 
free. 

"All  right  now,"  said  Jimmy,  throwing  the  fly 
overboard. 

But  our  hero  was  doomed  to  further  discomfiture. 


84  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

Scarcely  had  he  got  to  work  again,  than,  in  an 
attempt  to  be  deliberate,  his  Jock  Scott  came  in 
contact  with  the  water  behind,  which  caused  — 
although  he  tried  his  best  to  overcome  the  extra 
drag  on  the  tip  —  the  line  to  fall  in  a  tangle  about 
his  ears,  and  the  hook  to  catch  in  the  side  of  the 
canoe.  This  was  too  much  for  his  patience.  He 
ground  his  teeth,  and  perceiving  a  provoking 
smile  on  Haseltine's  face  exclaimed,  — 
"  If  you  think  it's,  so  easy,  try  yourself." 
It  was  rather  a  new  experience  to  Jack  to  be 
foiled  in  a  matter  of  this  sort.  He  was  naturally 
handy  and  clever  at  sports,  and  he  and  Haseltine 
were  beginning  decidedly  to  be  cocks  at  the  great 
school  to  which  they  belonged,  on  account  of  their 
prowess.  Perhaps  this  had  begotten  an  idea  in 
their  minds  that  they  could  do  anything  with 
very  little  trouble.  Certainly,  the  dual  experi 
ence  of  wood-chopping  and  casting  must  have 
shaken  that  theory  somewhat  in  Jack's  mind  at 
least.  He  now  beheld,  moreover,  Haseltine  manip 
ulating  the  rod  in  a  much  more  facile  manner 
than  he  had  done,  casting  quite  with  an  experi 
enced  air,  as  became  one  who  had  caught  many  a 


"HIM   BRIGHT   SALMON."  85 

brook  trout  by  dint  of  a  tree  branch,  a  thread, 
and  a  pin  tipped  with  worm.  Jack's  piscatorial 
exploits,  on  the  other  hand,  had  been  confined  to 
salt  water,  requiring  a  much  bolder  style  of  angling 
and  coarser  materials.  As  Jimmy  endeavored 
to  impress,  force  is  a  quality  that  needs  to  be 
use,d  very  charily  in  fly-fishing,  and  Haseltine 
seemed  to  appreciate  that  from  the  start.  He 
used  a  short  line,  and  after  a  few  moments  of 
difficulty  succeeded  in  making  the  fly  trip  grace 
fully  forward  just  in  time  to  forestall  the  line  and 
drop  deftly  on  the  water.  He  handled  his  rod 
knowingly,  too,  and  did  not  seem  to  be  discoun 
tenanced  by  the  reel,  which  is  not  a  very  easy  pro 
tuberance  to  get  accustomed  to.  He  brought  the 
tip  round  so  as  to  make  the  fly  move  entirely  to 
the  satisfaction  of  Jimmy,  who  was  now  keenly 
on  the  lookout  for  a  rise. 

All  of  a  sudden,  just  as  Haseltine  started  to 
make  a  cast,  there  came  a  whir  from  the  reel,  and 
the  tip  bent  toward  the  water. 

"  What  did  I  tell  you?"  cried  Jimmy. 

"  Is  it  a  salmon  ?  "  asked  Hasy,  who,  trembling 
with  excitement,  threw  up  the  point  of  his  rod 


00  JACK   IN  THE   BUSH. 

as  he  had  been  directed  to  do,  and  began  to  reel 
in  the  line. 

Somehow,  the  fish  was  exceedingly  tranquil 
after  the  first  haul.  The  line  had  become  taut, 
owing  to  the  reeling ;  but  whatever  was  at  the 
other  end  of  it  chose  to  make  no  further  demon 
stration.  There  was  something  there,  however, 
which  seemed  to  Hasy  very  unyielding. 

"  Is  it  a  salmon  ?  "  he  inquired  again  feverishly, 
in  answer  to  which  Jimmy,  whose  expression  had 
gradually  changed  to  a  sickly  grin,  responded 
laconically,  "You're  fast  to  the  bottom  of  the 
river." 

As  may  be  imagined,  this  was  delightful  news 
to  Jack,  who  had  been  perhaps  rather  nettled  at 
his  rival's  skill,  and  who  was  now  able  to  laugh 
until  his  side  ached. 

"You  want  the  earth,  Hasy.  You've  got  it 
this  time,  ha,  ha !  " 

Examination  proved  that  the  hook  had  caught 
in  a  snag,  an  old  root  sticking  up  from  the 
bottom. 

"You  let  your  fly  sink  too  deep;  that  was 
the  trouble,"  observed  Jimmy.  "I  thought  you 


"HIM   BRIGHT   SALMON."  87 

had  a  whale  by  the  way  it  took  hold  at  first. 
I  reckon  we'll  quit  this,  and  try  Dan's  hut  for  a 
spell.  Funny,  too,  there  ain't  no  fish  here  this 
time  of  year.  We'd  ought  to  have  had  one 
landed  by  this  time." 

The  boys  felt  a  little  gloomy,  for  they  also  had 
expected  better  things.  Jimmy  hauled  up  the 
stone,  and  as  they  glided  across  the  pool  peered 
over  the  edge  of  the  canoe. 

"There  isn't  one  of  the  beggars  there,"  he 
said. 

It  was  only  a  short  run  to  Dan's  hut.  As  they 
came  abreast  of  the  shanty,  they  perceived  lying 
on  the  bank  in  front  of  it  a  yellow-skinned 
looking  fellow,  smoking  a  pipe,  who  had  much 
the  aspect  of  an  Indian.  At  sight  of  him,  Jimmy 
gave  a  significant  grunt. 

"Who's  that?"   asked  Jack. 

"  Pete  Labouisse." 

"  Is  he  an  Indian  ?  " 

"  His  mother  was  a  squaw.     He's  a  half-breed." 

Jack  had  seen  Indians  before,  having  visited 
their  encampments  in  summer  to  buy  straw 
baskets  and  bows  and  arrows ;  but  that  was  a 


88  JACK    IN  THE   BUSH. 

very  different  affair  from  beholding  the  red  man 
in  his  native  forest.  A  vision  of  tomahawks, 
scalps,  and  war  paint,  arose  vividly  before  his 
imagination,  the  completeness  of  which  was  some 
what  marred  by  the  consciousness  that  Pete  was 
attired  very  much  like  other  people  at  Gaspe, 
except  more  shabbily. 

"  What's  he  doing  here  ?  "  inquired  Haseltine. 

"  No  good,  you  may  be  sure  of  that,"  answered 
Jimmy  wisely. 

"  Say,''  he  continued,  shouting  through  his 
hands  to  the  object  of  his  criticism,  "  seen  a  one 
jump?" 

"Ya,  ya !  "  responded  the  Indian  guttu  rally, 
between  the  puffs.  "Bright  salmon." 

"  Copper-colored  fox  !  "  muttered  Jimmy.  "  I'd 
wager  something  he's  had  a  slice  of  one  for 
breakfast.  Some  day,  old  boy,  we'll  catch  you 
at  your  tricks,  and  then  look  out." 

"  I  don't  see  his  rod,"  said  Hasy  innocently. 

"What  would  he  be  doing  with  a  rod?  No 
sirree,  a  pine  knot  and  a  spear  are  good  enough 
for  him  ;  and  he'd  catch  more'n  a  single  night 
than  the  Colonel  with  his  whole  book  of  flies  in 


"HIM   BRIGHT   SALMON."  89 

a  week.  That's  what  they  call  flambeauing,  and 
it's  death  on  the  fish." 

"What  is  it  he  does  ?  "  asked  Jack,  curious  as  to 
the  precise  nature  of  the  wickedness  in  question. 

"Does?"  echoed  Jimmy,  who  was  letting  down 
the  stone.  "  Why,  he  waits  for  a  dark  night,  and 
goes  sneaking  over  the  pools  with  a  torch.  The 
salmon  come  swimming  up  to  see  what  the  light 
means,  and  it's  easy  enough  then  to  stick  a  spear 
through  'em.  It  weren't  many  years  ago  that 
the  rivers  all  over  Canada  were  nearly  emptied 
of  fish  because  of  the  flambeauing;  and  it  costs 
a  good  spell  in  jail  if  one  gets  caught  at  it  now. 
But  what's  to  prevent  a  chap  like  Pete  from 
saying  he's  going  up  river  trapping,  and  then 
biding  his  time  ?  " 

This  explanation  was  cut  short  by  a  cry  from 
Jack,  who  pointed  eagerly  ahead  of  the  canoe. 
A  silver  gleam  embodying  a  fine  fish  was  for  a 
moment  perceptible,  followed  by  a  splash  which 
sent  the  ripples  flying. 

"  So  you're  there,  are  you  ?  "  exclaimed  Jimmy. 
"  Pete  hasn't  got  'em  all,  anyhow." 

At  the  same  moment  the  half-breed  gave  vent 


90  JACK  IN   THE   BUSH. 

to  another  guttural  utterance,  as  much  as  to  say, 
"I  told  you  so."  The  boys  were  in  a  fever  of 
excitement ;  and  Jack,  who  it  had  been  agreed  on 
the  way  down  from  the  High  Bank  pool  should 
be  the  first  to  cast,  was  trembling  so  that  he 
could  hardly  hold  the  rod. 

"  Wasn't  he  a  beauty  !  "  he  ejaculated.  "  What 
did  he  weigh,  Jimmy  ?  " 

"Close  on  thirty  pounds." 

"  What  made  him  jump  out  of  the  water  ? ?' 

"Playing.     They  often  do." 

"Do  you  believe  he'll  take  my  fly?" 

"  There's  no  telling.  When  they  act  like  that, 
they'll  sometimes  take  a  fly,  and  sometimes  not. 
Let  your  line  out  gradual  now.  Don't  be  in  a 
hurry  to  reach  him,"  Jimmy  added. 

For  some  minutes  there  was  rapt  silence. 
Jack  cast  and  cast  again  with  all  the  care  and 
skill  he  could  muster,  but  not  a  sign  of  a  fish 
appeared.  He  combed  the  pool,  as  anglers  say, 
from  top  to  bottom,  until  all  the  anchor  rope 
was  exhausted.  Jimmy  got  the  canoe  back  to 
the  starting-point  as  quietly  as  possible,  and  sug 
gested  putting  on  a  Silver  Doctor  in  place  of  the 


"HIM   BRIGHT   SALMON."  91 

Jock  Scott.  By  this  time  the  boys  were  looking 
rather  sombre.  They  had  felt  confident  of  hook 
ing  the  salmon  that  had  jumped.  What  could 
the  matter  be  ?  The  fly  must  have  passed  over 
his  nose  a  dozen  times.  However,  it  would  never 
do  to  despair  so  early,  and  Jack  began  to  cast 
again  with  a  determined  manner ;  but  the  Silver 
Doctor  appeared  to  be  as  little  appreciated  as 
the  Jock  Scott.  Not  a  fish  rose,  and  even 
Jimmy  wagged  his  head,  and  said,  "  It  beats  the 
Dutch." 

Just  as  he  spoke,  Jack  cast  again  wearily. 
The  fly  now  reached  to  the  farthest  extremity 
of  the  pool,  and  there  seemed  little  use  in  watch 
ing  it.  An  instant  later  there  was  an  exclama 
tion  from  Pete  on  the  bank,  who  pointed  eagerly 
at  the  water ;  and  simultaneously  Jimmy  cried, 
"You've  got  him.  Don't  jerk." 

Jack,  following  the  Indian's  gesture,  had  seen 
a  large  swirl  close  to  where  his  fly  might  well 
be ;  and,  as  he  heard  Jimmy's  voice,  he  felt  the 
line  tighten.  Obeying  the  caution  given,  he 
simply  held  his  rod  firm.  It  was  apparent  to 
him  that  the  fish  was  going  down.  The  next 


92  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

moment  his  reel  was  whirring  violently,  and  his 
line  running  out  at  a  tremendous  rate. 

"  Keep  the  point  of  your  rod  up,  keep  the 
point  of  your  rod  up,  or  you'll  lose  him,"  he 
heard  Jimmy  cry  excitedly  ;  and  he  tried  to  do 
so,  though  the  fish  was  making  such  a  stir  that 
it  was  not  very  easy.  At  last  he  got  it  up  at  a 
tolerable  angle,  with  the  result  of  checking  the 
violent  rush,  owing  to  the  greater  purchase  thus 
acquired.  The  fish  had  come  to  a  halt,  though 
he  was  pulling  so  steadily  that  the  tip  was  bent 
well  down.  Jack  could  feel  a  sort  of  thrumming 
or  vibration  along  the  line,  which  thrilled  him 
with  satisfaction. 

uls  it  a  salmon?"  he  asked. 

"It's  a  salmon,  and  a  big  one,"  answered 
Jimmy. 

"Hooray,"  cried  Haseltine. 

Delighted  as  he  was,  Jack  felt  almost  helpless. 
He  was  in  utter  ignorance  as  to  what  he  should 
do.  Ought  he  to  reel  or  to  pull  harder?  How 
much  strain  would  the  rod  stand  ? 

"  Am  I  doing  all  right  ?  "  he  asked  feverishly. 

"Yes.     Give   him   the   butt,   though."     Then, 


"HIM   BRIGHT  SALMON."  93 

seeing  that  Jack  looked  puzzled,  he  added,  "  I 
mean  keep  the  butt  of  your  rod  out,  and  the  tip 
up.  The  moment  he  weakens,  reel  on  him." 
Jimmy  had  pulled  up  the  stone,  and  was  holding 
the  canoe  by  means  of  his  pole,  evidently  pre 
pared  for  whatever  might  happen. 

"Am  I  to  go  ashore?"  Jack  asked. 

"  Not  yet,"  said  Jimmy  grimly.     "  Look  out." 

Just  then,  as  a  consequence  of  receiving  the 
butt,  the  fish  started  on  another  rush  more  vio 
lent  than  the  first,  which  made  the  reel  sing 
shrilly,  and  broke  down  Jack's  guard  completely. 
Then  to  the  left,  but  not  twenty  yards  away, 
something  leaps  a  foot  out  of  water.  What 
is  that?  his  fish?  It  cannot  be.  Yet  is  not 
Jimmy  crying,  "  Lower  your  rod !  lower  your 
rod"? 

"  Him  bright  salmon,  him  bright  salmon,"  shouts 
Pete,  wakened  to  enthusiasm. 

But  Jack  scarcely  heeds  the  tidings.  He  has 
lowered  his  rod,  and,  after  doing  so,  realizes  that 
the  line,  instead  of  being  taut,  is  slack  and  loose; 
it  has  ceased  to  run  out.  The  rod  is  wobbling. 
Is  the  salmon  lost?  is  he  off?  As  the  terrible 


94  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

thought  suggests  itself,  he  feels  a  hollow  sinking 
of  the  stomach  unlike  any  thing  he  has  ever  felt 
before.  Then  he  hears  close  at  hand, — 

"  Reel  —  reel  —  reel." 

He  reels  with  all  his  might.  Surely  the  fish 
is  gone.  Where  can  he  be  ?•  There  is  no  strain 
on  the  line.  But  still  he  reels,  while  Jimmy 
hastily  shoves  the  canoe  up  river  and  toward 
the  shore,  .in  order,  as  Jack  later  learns,  to 
prevent  the  salmon  from  running  under  it : 
for  the  sly  monster  has  dashed  up  stream,  as 
is  immediately  manifest  by  his  leaping  out  of 
water  again,  and  this  time  nearly  abreast  of  the 
canoe. 

"Him  bright  salmon  —  him  bright  salmon." 

Still  again  he  leaps ;  and  this  time  Jack  gets 
a  good  glimpse  of  him,  and  realizes  what  has 
happened.  It  is  his  fish. 

"  Reel  —  reel  —  reel,"  reiterates  Jimmy. 

Is  he  not  reeling  as  hard  as  he  can?  espe 
cially  now  that  he  understands  that  the  salmon 
is  still  on.  What  a  splendid  fellow  he  is!  How 
silvery  and  beautifully  shaped !  Oh,  he  must 
save  him  !  Where  is  he  now  ?  He  can  feel  him 


LOWER  YOUR  ROD  !  LOWER  YOUR  ROD  !  "  —  P.  93. 


"HIM   BRIGHT   SALMON."  97 

distinctly,  for  the  line  is  getting  taut.  Ah, 
yes,  he  is  pulling  steadily,  and  taking  another 
breathing  spell !  Hurrah !  he  is  not  lost. 

Now  that  Jack  feels  again  the  steady  strain, 
and  is  conscious  of  the  thrumming,  he  too  has 
a  chance  to  take  breath,  of  which  he  is  quite 
as  much  in  need  as  the  salmon.  The  per 
spiration  is  streaming  down  his  cheeks,  and 
he  tastes  tar  oil  in  his  mouth.  His  hands, 
too,  are  slippery  from  the  same  causes,  and 
he  reflects  that  he  ought  to  have  worn  his 
fishing  gloves  as  advised  by  the  Colonel.  It  is 
impossible  to  put  them  on  now  without  passing 
his  rod  to  Jimmy  or  Haseltine,  which  he  would 
not  do  for  a  five-hundred-dollar  bill,  although 
the  end  of  the  butt  seems  to  be  wearing  a  hole 
in  the  pit  of  his  stomach.  The  sun  is  well 
above  the  tree-tops,  and  pouring  down  his  rays 
without  stint.  He  blinks  to  clear  his  eyes  from 
hot  mist,  and  looks  at  Jimmy,  who  still  stands 
pole  in  hand. 

"He's  a  big  fellow,  isn't  he,  Jimmy?'''  Jack 
inquires  with  a  gasp. 

"A  whale." 


98  JACK   IN   THE  BUSH. 

"  He's  pulling  now,  I  tell  you.  Did  I  do  all 
right  when  he  jumped?" 

"You  ought  to  lower  your  point  the  moment 
he  starts  to  jump.  If  he  should  fall  on  your 
casting-line  when  it's  taut,  he'd  snap  it  off 
short." 

"He's  twitching  now;  what  does  that  mean? 
Tell  me  —  tell  me ! "  Jack  cries,  as  the  salmon 
begins  to  make  a  series  of  frantic  tugs,  which 
pulls  the  tip  violently  down,  and  then  relaxes  it. 

Jimmy  shakes  his  head  ominously.  "I  don't 
like  to  see  'em  do  that." 

"  What  does  it  signify  ?  "  asked  Hasy. 

"  It's  generally  a  sign  they're  not  well  hooked. 
He's  trying  to  work  the  hook  out  of  his  mouth." 

Jack  trembles.  The  idea  of  losing  him  now 
is  too  terrible  to  contemplate. 

"  Give  him  all  the  butt  he'll  stand,"  says 
Jimmy. 

"I'm  doing  it." 

Once  more  the  salmon  is  motionless.  Only 
the  strain  and  the  perpetual  thrumming  tell 
he  is  there.  Five  minutes  pass  —  ten  minutes 
—  and  he  never  budges. 


"HIM   BRIGHT   SALMON."  99 

"He's  sulking.     Saw  on  him  a  little." 

Jack  saws,  but  without  producing  any  im 
pression. 

"Step  ashore  and  reel  all  you  can,  so  as  to 
draw  him  in  slowly  toward  the  canoe,  and  I'll 
try  to  get  the  gaff  into  him,"  continues  Jimmy. 

After  some  difficulty,  owing  to  the  necessity 
of  walking  backwards,  Jack  manages  to  clamber 
ashore,  and  to  make  a  few  steps  up  the  bank, 
while  the  guide,  having  seized  the  gaff,  creeps 
to  the  bow.  By  putting  on  a  little  more  strain, 
Jack "  succeeds  in  reeling  in  a  foot  or  two  of 
line.  It  is  wonderful  to  him  to  see  how  much 
strain  his  green-heart  will  stand.  The  tip  is 
curved  almost  like  a  barrel-hoop.  With  all  the 
might  he  dares  to  use,  he  endeavors  to  drag  the 
fish  toward  Jimmy.  The  water  is  deep,  and 
the  current  swift,  however.  The  guide  shakes 
his  head  again,  evidently  realizing  that  it  is  an 
undesirable  spot  for  gaffing. 

"Can't  you  reel  a  little  more?" 

"  Look  at  my  rod,"  says  Jack ;  still  he  gives 
a  fraction  more  butt. 

Jimmy  peers  into  the  water,  holding  the   gaff 


100  JACK   IX  THE   BUSH. 

just  above  the  surface,  ready  to  plunge  it  at  a 
favorable  opportunity.  He  tells  Jack  to  move  up 
river  a  step  or  two,  and  to  slant  the  rod  so  that 
the  line  shall  not  come  between  him  and  the  fish, 
in  order  to  avoid  entanglement  with  the  gaff. 
There  is  a  pause,  during  which  Jimmy  seems 
half  a  dozen  times  just  on  the  point  of  strik 
ing  ;  then  suddenly  he  makes  a  strenuous  dab. 

"  Missed  him,"  he  ejaculates,  and  simultane 
ously  the  frightened  fish  makes  a  desperate  rush. 
Whir,  whir,  whir  goes  the  reel,  and  Jack  in  an 
agony  of  dismay  is  forced  to  the  water's  edge. 
Again  the  salmon  jumps,  this  time  falling  appar 
ently  flat  on  the  line,  but  still  he  is  on.  Off 
he  dashes.  Whir,  whir,  whir,  whir.  He  is  just 
tearing. 

"  Get  into  the  canoe,"  says  Jimmy  hastily. 

"What's  he  going  to  do?" 

"  At  this  rate,  he'll  go  over  the  rapid.  We've 
got  to  follow  him,  if  he  does."  So  saying,  Jimmy 
pushes  off.  "  Sit  down,"  he  cries  to  Jack.  But 
this  is  easier  said  than  done,  it  seems  to  the  young 
angler.  With  the  butt  planted  against  his  stom 
ach,  he  stands  holding  the  rod  as  high  up  as  he 


"HIM   BRIGHT   SALMON."  101 

can,  from  which  depends  the  long  stretch  of  line 
separating  him  from  his  would-be  victim,  already 
on  the  edge  of  the  foaming  water  which  marks 
the  beginning  of  the  rapid  some  fifty  yards  ahead, 
and  still  making  the  reel  fly.  In  front  of  Jack 
stands  Jimmy,  pole  in  hand  ;  and  behind  sits  Hasel- 
tine,  grasping  both  sides  of  the  canoe,  and  trem 
bling  with  excitement.  Yes,  there  is  no  help  for 
it ;  the  salmon  is  going  over,  and  they  must  follow 
him.  Already  the  canoe  is  moving  swiftly.  The 
whir  of  the  reel  has  ceased,  and  there  is  very  little 
strain  on  the  line,  which  stretches  from  the  tip  of 
the  rod  to  a  point  midway  in  the  rapid  like  the 
rope  which  runs  from  the  foremast  of  a  vessel  to 
the  bowsprit.  Where  it  touches  the  water,  there 
is  the  salmon. 

The  danger  now  is  of  going  too  fast  and  over 
taking  the  fish;  and  while  Jimmy  snubs  the  canoe, 
as  he  calls  it,  with  his  pole,  Jack  has  to  do  some 
more  active  reeling.  It  is  not  very  easy  to  keep 
one's  balance  in  the  midst  of  the  choppy  water,  but 
Jack  is  afraid  to  divert  his  attention  even  so  far  as 
to  try  to  sit  down,  lest  he  lose  his  precious  fish. 

The  rapid  was  steep,  and  a  couple  of  hundred 


102  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

yards  long,  being  caused  by  a  series  of  rocks  close 
to  the  surface,  which  transformed  the  current  into 
foaming  hillocks  and  furrows.  Jimmy  had  to  be 
constantly  on  his  guard  to  prevent  the  canoe  from 
striking,  and  once  or  twice  they  took  in  a  little 
water  over  the  bow.  All  the  while  the  salmon 
was  slowly  forging  ahead. 

"  Give  him  all  the  butt  you  can,  so  as  to  hold 
his  mouth  open,"  Jimmy  kept  saying.  "  He  can't 
stand  this  long  without  drowning/' 

"I  guess  he  must  be  well  hooked,  or  he'd  have 
been  off  before  now,"  said  Jack,  as  they  neared 
the  end  of  the  rapid. 

Here  they  came  upon  a  stretch  of  still  and 
rather  shallow  water,  in  which  the  salmon  halted 
again,  much  to  Jack's  satisfaction,  who  was  himself 
glad  of  another  breathing  spell. 

"  I  must  have  had  him  on  a  good  while,"  he 
observed  reflectively. 

"  Two  hours,"  said  Hasy,  looking  at  his  watch. 
"  It  was  three  minutes  of  ten  when  you  got  him 
on,  and  it  is  just  twelve." 

"  Whew  !  Do  they  usually  take  as  long  as  that 
to  land,  Jimmy  ?  " 


"HIM   BRIGHT  SALMON."  103 

"  Not  often,"  answered  the  guide  with  a  grin. 
"  The  Colonel  would  have  had  him  ashore  an  hour 
ago ;  but  you're  doing  first-rate.  Stick  to  him, 
and  you'll  come  out  all  right.  The  world  weren't 
made  in  a  minute." 

"  How  far  would  he  run  ?  "  asked  Hasy. 

"  If  nothing  breaks,  he  may  get  to  the  Basin 
before  dark." 

"Nonsense,  Jimmy,"  said  Jack  with  a  laugh. 
"Oh,  there  he  goes  again,  there  he  goes  again  ! " 

True  enough  the  salmon  seemed  disposed  to 
continue  on  his  way  down  river.  Whir  went 
the  reel,  and  out  of  the  water  he  sprang  once  — 
twice. 

"  Let  him  go  —  let  him  go,"  cried  Jimmy. 
"  Don't  try  to  check  him  too  sudden.  He's  lively, 
and  no  mistake." 

In  spite  of  all  that  Jack  could  do,  the  fish 
ran  slowly  through  the  quiet  stretch  and  reached 
another  rapid.  It  was  a  short  one,  and  below  it 
was  a  dark  pool.  After  reeling  in  the  slack,  there 
was  still  a  good  deal  of  line  out,  which  showed 
that  the  water  was  deep. 

"  How  does  he  feel  ?  "  asked  Jimmy. 


104  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

"  Just  as  strong  as  ever." 

"  And  how  do  you  feel,  —  tuckered  ?  " 

"  No,"  answered  Jack  stoutly.  "  That  nasty 
tar  oil  will  trickle  into  my  mouth,  though," 
he  added,  with  a  touch  of  despondency  in  his 
tone. 

"You're  not  much  to  look  at,  Jack,"  said  Hasy, 
laughing.  "  I'd  say  you  were  an  Indian,  if  I  met 
you  in  the  woods." 

Meantime  Jack  was  feeling  the  salmon,  who 
showed  no  disposition  to  move.  Sawing  proved 
again  of  no  use.  He  was  down  in  a  deep  hole, 
and  declined  to  be  dislodged  by  ordinary  methods. 
Jack  felt  mortified  and  once  more  helpless.  He 
said  to  himself 'that  clearly  he  did  not  understand 
how  to  put  on  the  proper  strain  or  manage  the  rod 
cleverly.  Instead  of  controlling  the  fish,  he  was 
himself  dancing  attendance  on  the  good  pleasure 
of  his  piscatorial  highness.  But  what  could  he 
do  ?  If  he  should  exert  more  than  a  certain  pres 
sure,  he  might  break  the  casting-line.  Jerking 
would  be  equally  dangerous.  Jimmy  suggested 
his  stepping  ashore  and  walking  backwards  again  ; 
but  this  did  not  help  him  much,  for  the  salmon 


"HIM   BRIGHT  SALMON."  105 

still  stuck  to  the  hole.  He  ventured  to  steady 
the  rod  with  one  hand,  and  to  wipe  the  perspira 
tion  off  his  face  with  the  other.  In  spite  of  his 
declaration  to  the  contrary,  he  was  beginning  to 
feel  fagged.  Bah !  he  had  forgotten  the  tar  oil, 
and  here  was  his  handkerchief  a  mass  of  brown 
stickiness !  Jimmy  and  Haseltine  were  laugh 
ing  at  him,  too,  as  a  consequence.  It  was  con 
foundedly  hot,  too,  and  he  was  getting  faint  for 
want  of  something  to  eat.  A  sandwich  would 
taste  remarkably  good. 

This  idea  of  luncheon  grew  upon  him  the 
longer  the  salmon  persevered  in  inactivity,  and 
took  shape  at  last  in  a  request  for  food. 

Leaning  up  against  a  tree,  he  conveyed  to  his 
mouth  with  one  hand  bread  and  butter  and 
potted  tongue,  while  with  the  other  he  kept 
the  point  of  his  rod  at  a  proper  angle.  Jimmy 
had  built  a  fire  and  made  himself  a  cup  of 
tea,  without  which  he  declared  that  no  meal 
was  complete  for  him.  After  this  refreshment, 
although  there  was  no  change  in  the  status  of 
the  salmon,  Jack  felt  much  more  disposed  to 
take  the  initiative,  even  at  the  risk  of  losing 


106  JACK    IX   THE    BUSH. 

the  prize.  This  sulking  must  be  put  an  end  to 
somehow,  and  after  consultation  the  expedient  of 
hurling  a  large  stone  into  the  river  close  beside 
where  the  scaly  brute  was  supposed  to  be  was 
selected.  The  privilege  of  throwing  the  missile 
was  claimed  by  Haseltine,  who,  standing  by  the 
water's  edge,  let  fly. 

The  stone  acted  like  magic.  The  salmon  made 
a  wild  dash,  excelling  in  impetuosity  any  he  had 
hitherto  indulged  in,  and,  seeking  the  surface, 
leaped  twice  in  quick  succession.  As  he  fell 
back  the  last  time,  Jack  felt  the  line  slacken, 
and  cried  bitterly,  "  He  is  off." 

"No,  he  isn't,"  shouted  Jimmy,  and  as  he 
spoke  the  big  fish  leaped  out  of  water  right 
under  their  very  noses  close  in  shore,  and  a 
moment  after  still  again  beyond  them  up  river. 

"  Let  him  go  up,"  said  Jimmy.  "  He'll  kill 
himself  against  the  current  twice  as  quick." 

But  the  salmon,  thinking  better  of  this  plan, 
suddenly  darted  down  again ;  and  before  many 
minutes  the  canoe  was  following  him  through  a 
third  rapid. 

This    passed,   they    reached    another    tranquil 


"HIM   BRIGHT   SALMON."  107 

shallow  stretch;  and  here  for  the  first  time,  as 
Jack  tightened  the  line,  the  fish  was  visible  near 
the  surface,  showing  evident  signs  of  fatigue, 
and  now  and  then  lolling  over  so  that  they  saw 
the  white  of  his  belly. 

"  He's  done  for,"  said  Jimmy. 

Nevertheless,  despite  this  assertion,  the  gamey 
creature  presently  gathered  himself  together,  and 
made  another  smart  rush  toward  the  opposite 
bank.  But  Jack  found  it  easy  to  check  him 
now,  and  to  guide  him  as  he  reeled  him  in, 
bringing  him  once  more  to  the  surface.  Then 
Jimmy  put  Jack  ashore  on  the  sandy  beach, 
which  was  a  better  place  to  land  the  fish  than  the 
bank  where  he  had  made  the  first  attempt  to  gaff, 
and  proceeded  to  wade  out  over  his  ankles.  Jack 
had  reeled  in  so  that  the  casting-line  was  very 
near  the  ring  of  the  tip.  Accordingly,  he  had 
now  to  step  backwards  in  order  to  pull  the  fish 
toward  Jimmy,  who  cautioned  him  against  reeling 
further.  The  salmon  floated  sluggishly,  wagging 
his  tail,  and  lolling  more  and  more.  As  he  caught 
sight  of  the  gaff,  however,  he  made  still  another 
struggle  to  escape,  but  only  to  be  reeled  back 


108  JACK   IN  THE  BUSH. 

again  the  few  feet  that  he  had  gained.  Then  he 
shook  his  head  two  or  three  times,  and  started 
to  rub  his  gills  against  the  bottom ;  but  at  this 
moment  Jimmy  extended  the  hook  of  the  gaff 
across  his  back,  and,  dropping  it  into  the  water, 
drew  it  in  with  a  quick  motion,  and  lifted  the 
silver  beauty  ashore. 

"Hurrah,"  cried  Jack,  "hurrah,  hurrah,  hur 
rah  ! "  and  in  a  transport  of  delight  he  dropped 
his  rod  and  cast  himself  on  his  knees  beside  the 
gasping  fish. 

Jimmy  had  picked  up  a  stone  to  knock  the 
salmon  on  the  head,  to  prevent  his  wriggling  back 
into  his  native  element ;  but  seeing  him  lying 
motionless  he  turned  to  the  boys  and  said,  laugh 
ing,— 

"  He's  stone  dead.     You  wore  him  out,  Jack." 

"  I've  got  him,  anyhow.  Oh,  I  wouldn't  have 
lost  him  for  any  thing!  Isn't  it  splendid?  O 
Hasy,  I  hope  you'll  catch  one  !  " 

"Tell  him,  Hasy,  that  the  Colonel  would  say 
4  kill  one,'  "  said  Jimmy  with  a  wink. 

But  Haseltine  was  too  much  carried  away  by 
the  glorious  result  of  the  struggle  to  take  advan- 


"HIM    BRIGHT   SALMON."  109 

tage  of  the  opportunity  thus  offered  to  revenge 
himself. 

"  Oh,  what  does  he  weigh  ? "  was  his  fervent 
inquiry. 

44  Guess,"  said  Jimmy,  as  he  reached  for  the  scales. 

"I've  no  idea,"  said  Jack.  "  He's  a  big  fellow, 
though,  isn't  he?" 

"  I  guess  twenty  pounds,"  said  Haseltine. 

"  He'll  pass  thirty,"  said  Jimmy. 

"  Really  !  "  the  boys  exclaimed  together. 

The  guide  having  inserted  the  hook  of  the 
scales  in  one  of  the  salmon's  gills  lifted  him  from 
the  ground.  "What  did  I  tell  you?"  he  said. 
"  Thirty  ?  It's  a  good  thirty-two." 

"Hurrah!  "  cried  Jack.  "He's  a  buster.  And 
how  long  was  I  in  landing  him  ?  " 

"Just  five  hours  and  four  minutes,"  answered 
Haseltine. 

"  Five  hours  and  four  minutes !  That'll  make 
a  great  fish  story,"  said  Jimmy,  bursting  into 
laughter.  "But  it's  true,  all  the  same.  It  was 
nip  and  tuck  between  you,  Jack.  You  wore  him 
out,  though,  —  may  I  never  pole  another  stroke,  if 
you  didn't." 


110  JACK  IN  THE  BUSH. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

SETTLING  DOWN. 

WHILE  Jack  and  Haseltine  were  thus  busy 
down  river,  the  home  guard  was  by  no  means 
idle.  It  consisted,  you  will  remember,  besides 
Mr.  Holt,  of  Dubsy  Perkins,  Max  Fearing,  and 
Tom  Binney.  There  was  Bingo,  too,  who  was 
rejoicing  quite  as  much  as  any  of  the  others  in 
the  freedom  of  the  woods.  The  lively  fox  terrier 
had  come  in  the  cart  with  George  Coffin  the  day 
before,  much  to  the  dissatisfaction  of  his  owner, 
who  had  wished  to  have  him  in  the  canoe ;  but 
the  chances  of  his  jumping  overboard  had  seemed 
so  considerable  that  Mr.  Holt  had  issued  a  fiat 
compelling  him  to  journey  by  land.  Both  he  and 
his  master  Tom  were  in  grand  spirits  this  morn 
ing,  being  alike  imbued  apparently  with  the  desire 
to  ferret  out  something  in  the  nature  of  bird, 
beast,  or  reptile  .from  every  suggestion  of  a  hole 


SETTLING   DOWN.  Ill 

in  the  ground  or  in  the  tree-trunks  that  met  the 
watchful  eye  of  either  of  them.  And  with  some 
success,  too,  at  least  as  far  as  Bingo  was  concerned  ; 
for  the  terrier,  by  dint  of  his  keen  smelling  powers, 
hit  upon  the  abodes  of  sundry  chipmonks  very 
early  in  the  day. 

"  Seek  him,  Bingo,  seek  him,"  Tom  would  cry, 
as  the  little  dog,  barking  vociferously,  pawed  at 
or  sniffed  before  some  significant  orifice.  But 
happily  for  the  inmates,  they  were  generally  pro 
tected  by  the  smallness  of  the  holes  from  worse 
evils  than  a  thorough  shock  to  the  nervous  system. 

Welcome  as  chipmonks  would  have  been  at 
home,  here  in  the  heart  of  the  forest  Tom's  aspira 
tions  took  a  more  ambitious  form.  Visions  rose 
before  him  of  deer  and  even  bear  trapped  by  his 
skill,  and  tamed  by  his  discretion  until  they  would 
follow  his  footsteps  and  feed  out  of  his  hand. 
But  though  these  larger  specimens  were  not  likely 
to  be  run  across  in  a  ramble  within  ear-shot  from 
camp,  one  might  readily  come  upon  a  rabbit  or  an 
owl  or  a  wasp's  nest.  As  he  very  properly  rea 
soned,  one  could  never  tell,  until  one  looked,  what 
was  inside  a  hollow  trunk  or  underneath  a  stone. 


112  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

Either  a  woodpecker  or  a  snake  would  be  ample 
reward  for  any  number  of  fruitless  investigations. 
Therefore,  whenever  Tom's  services  were  not  re 
quired  in  other  ways,  he  and  Bingo  went  mousing 
round  the  neighborhood  to  see  what  they  could 
find. 

Dubsy,  on  the  other  hand,  revealed  great  prac 
tical  qualities.  To  chop  wood,  build  up  the  fire, 
preside  over  the  frying-pan,  soup-kettle,  and  grid 
iron,  gather  fresh  hemlock  for  the  bunks,  or 
manufacture  rustic  chairs  to  make  the  camp 
more  cosey,  each  and  all  seemed  to  him  fascinat 
ing  and  highly  desirable  occupation.  Mr.  Holt, 
in  perceiving  this,  was  pleased.  He  had  been 
anxious,  as  far  as  possible,  to  let  the  boys  follow 
their  respective  bents,  yet  at  the  same  time 
had  intended  that  the  drudgery  of  the  camp 
should  be  performed  by  each  in  turn.  But 
here  was  a  boy  with  a  genuine  taste  for  cutting 
down  trees,  and  broiling  fish ;  who  demurred 
neither  at  the  heat  of  the  fire,  the  dirtiness  of 
the  ashes,  nor  the  stickiness  of  the  pine-boughs; 
and  whose  sole  grievance  was  that  he  was  not 
allowed  to  do  every  thing  in  the  domestic  line 


SETTLING   DOWN.  113 

himself.  Clearly,  if  Dubsy  preferred  cooking  to 
hunting  for  chipmonks,  there  seemed  very  little 
object  in  calling  upon  Tom  to  sacrifice  the  pos 
sibilities  of  meeting  a  bear,  in  order  that  he 
might  do  his  share  of  camp  work.  The  great 
thing  was  to  have  them  enter  heart  and  soul 
into  something,  and  Mr.  Holt  felt  that  his  duties 
were  lightened  by  the  fact  that  each  of  this  pair 
knew  what  he  wanted  to  do. 

But  poor  Max  Fearing  had  found  the  woods 
thus  far  not  much  of  a  paradise.  Although  the 
biggest  of  the  six,  he  was  inclined  to  be  fat,  and 
he  was  not  strong  in  proportion  to  his  size.  His 
education  abroad  had  separated  him  from  other 
boys,  so  that  he  was  unfamiliar  with  their  ways, 
and  he  had  never  been  accustomed  to  roughing  it. 
Consequently  his  skin  was  very  delicate,  and  his 
muscles  limp  from  lack  of  vigorous  exercise. 
To  add  to  his  discomfort,  the  black  flies  poi 
soned  him,  as  they  do  some  people,  and  his 
cheeks  and  eyelids  were  so  swollen  from  bites 
that  he  could  scarcely  see.  Of  cooking  he  knew 
absolutely  nothing,  not  even  enough  to  set  the 
kettle  boiling ;  and  contact  with  the  raw  mate- 


114  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

rials,  like  butter,  lard,  fish-scales,  or  flour,  incident 
to  the  preparation  of  food,  disgusted  him.  In 
trying  to  slice  a  loaf  of  bread  to  make  toast  for 
luncheon,  he  cut  his  left  hand,  upset  a  teapot  of 
hot  water  over  one  of  his  legs,  and  while  gath 
ering  boughs  filled  his  fingers  with  splinters. 
Yet  in  spite  of  all  these  ills,  as  they  seemed 
to  him,  he  made  no  complaints,  bearing  with 
equanimity  and  good  humor  the  taunts  cast  at 
him  by  Tom  and  Dubsy  on  account  of  his  awk 
ward  ways  and  what  they  considered  his  want 
of  manliness.  At  heart,  however,  he  was  morti 
fied.  For  his  wounds,  he  cared  little :  they 
smarted,  but  far  more  painful  was  the  discovery 
of  his  own  deficiencies.  Here  he  was  a  sort  of 
Miss  Nancy,  with  what  Jack  had  called  that 
morning  "  lady-like  behavior  ;  "  and,  moreover, 
he  had  not  the  least  idea  as  to  how  he  was  to 
become  like  the  rest  of  the  boys.  They  could 
climb  trees,  talked  knowingly  already  of  poling 
and  their  ability  to  bake  bread,  and  were  keen 
for  encounters  with  wild  beasts ;  but  he,  Max 
Fielding,  was  utterly  ignorant  of  all  these  mat 
ters,  and  would  be  apt  to  feel  the  inclination  to 


SETTLING  DOWN.  115 

run  away  at  sight  of  a  bear  or  wildcat.  What 
use  were  books  now?  He  did  know  something 
of  them,  and  had  a  volume  of  poetry  concealed 
in  the  rubber  bag  which  contained  his  traps ;  but 
his  principal  dread  was  that  it  might  be  discov 
ered  by  one  of  the  others.  As  the  sum  and 
substance  of  it  all,  he  felt  very  much  like  sitting 
down  and  crying ;  and  the  fear  lest  he  might  do 
so  caused  him  to  perambulate  the  camp  with 
gritted  teeth  beneath  a  deceptive  smile. 

Mr.  Holt,  who  was  on  the  alert,  was  happily 
quick  to  perceive  both  Max's  inability  to  cope 
with  the  others,  and  his  determination  not  to  give 
in.  While  the  master  believed  that  ridicule  is 
a  tolerably  wholesome  means  of  curing  molly 
coddled  boys,  and  was  therefore  disposed  to  leave 
Max  in  a  certain  measure  to  his  own  reflections, 
he  determined  to  aid  and  abet  him  in  his  efforts 
to  make  a  man  of  himself.  He  noticed  with 
satisfaction  Max's  good  nature  when  jeered  at, 
and  the  unflinching  way  he  plunged  his  white 
hand  into  the  butter-firkin  during  the  lesson  in 
breadmaking  given  him  during  the  afternoon, 
although  it  was  not  difficult,  for  one  used  to 


116  JACK   IX   THE   BUSH. 

reading  character,  to  appreciate  the  boy's  agony 
of  mind. 

About  five  o'clock  Dubsy  and  Tom  and  Bingo 
were  all  so  far  tired  out  by  the  exertions  of  the 
day  as  to  be  disposed  to  squat  down  under  a 
tree  and  remain  comparatively  passive.  Mr. 
Holt  took  this  opportunity  to  read  aloud  a  book 
treating  of  the  remarkable  cleverness  of  ants,  in 
the  course  of  which  Tom  suddenly  remarked,  — 

"  I  say,  Max,  did  you  ever  see  Bingo  do  arith 
metic  ?  " 

"Really?"  asked  Max,  who,  having  listened  to 
the  reading  with  absorbed  attention,  was  in  a 
receptive  frame  of  mind. 

"Why,  certainly.  He's  great  at  it,  especially 
at  addition.  Isn't  he,  Dubsy?"  Tom  added  with 
a  wink. 

u  I  never  saw  his  equal,"  Dubsy  answered 
diplomatically. 

"  Come  here,  Bingo.  Now,  I  want  you  to  do  a 
sum.  Put  down  three,  and  carry  one." 

In  obedience  to  his  master's  order,  the  terrier 
drew  up  one  of  his  legs,  and  limped  with 
gusto. 


SETTLING   DOWN.  117 

"  There  you  have  it,"  said  Tom.  "  He  put 
down  three  legs,  and  is  carrying  one."  Where 
upon  he  and  Dubsy  burst  out  laughing  at  Max's 
evident  discomfiture. 

•'  Max  thought  he  would  really  do  the  sum  in 
his  head.  Ho,  ho  !  "  was  Dubsy 's  comment. 

"Well,  laugh  away.  I  don't  care,"  was  the 
reply.  But  Max  looked  a  little  shamefaced. 

"  How  could  a  dog  do  a  sum  ?  The  trouble 
with  you,  Max,  is  that  you're  fresher  than  paint," 
observed  Tom  with  the  air  of  a  sage.  "  I  should 
think  you'd  be  afraid  of  coming  off  on  the 
bushes." 

"Never  mind,  Max,"  said  Mr.  Holt.  "These 
boys  think  they  know  everything;  but  I  shouldn't 
be  at  all  astonished  if  there  were  some  surprises 
in  store  for  them,  before  we  break  up  camp.  If  I 
were  going  to  make  a  prediction  as  to  who 
would  win  the  Colonel's  rifle,  I'm  not  sure  that 
I  shouldn't  fix  on  you." 

Max  flushed  and  looked  grateful.  The  expres 
sion  of  the  other  two  was  sardonic  and  evidently 
incredulous. 

"  You  see,"  continued  Mr.  Holt,  "  because  you 


118  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

two  are  proficient  at  base-ball  and  rowing,  and 
have  callous  hands  and  hard  muscles,  you're 
inclined  to  look  down  on  any  one  of  your  own 
age  who  can't  say  the  same.  Now,  Max  and  Joe 
have  been  brought  up  in  a  different  way ;  and, 
though  I'm  not  prepared  to  state  that  I  don't 
consider  your  way  the  better,  I  am  very  sure  that 
they  would  be  able  to  put  you  to  the  blush  in 
more  ways  than  one." 

"  Oh,  Joe's  all  right ! "  said  Dubsy  with  some 
what  brutal  frankness. 

"  I'm  glad  you  approve  of  him  ;  and  let  me  tell 
you  that  Max  is  all  right  too,  so  far  that  he  is  able 
to  talk  French  and  German  as  well  as  his  native 
tongue,  has  a  fine  taste  for  music,  and  is  remark 
ably  clever  at  his  books.  Those  may  not  seem 
very  important  acquirements  in  the  woods  here ; 
but  they  convince  me  that  he  has  only  to  devote 
his  energies  a  little  in  another  direction,  in  order 
to  become  your  equal  as  a  woodsman.  I  don't 
mean  to  say,"  Mr.  Holt  added,  looking  at  Max, 
"  that  he  is  going  to  find  it  altogether  easy  to 
overcome  the  timidity  which  I  rather  think  he  feels 
in  matters  which  a  manly  boy  ought  to  take  to  as 


SETTLING  DOWN.  119 

a  fish  does  to  the  water  ;  but  I  am  confident,  that, 
if  he  keeps  up  his  pluck,  the  day  will  soon  arrive 
when  you  will  not  be  able  to  stump  him,  as  you 
boys  call  it,  in  many  ways." 

Tom  and  Dubsy,  having  listened  in  silence, 
continued  to  chew  the  cud  of  reflection  while 
engaging  in  a  game  of  stick-knife,  which  required 
no  remarks,  and  was  moreover  a  pastime  calculated 
to  awaken  the  envious  admiration  of  Max.  Just, 
however,  as  Tom  had  reached  the  interesting 
stage  of  holding  the  point  of  the  blade  on  the 
crown  of  his  head,  preparatory  to  tossing  the  knife 
backwards,  he  was  interrupted  by  a  shout  from 
Mr.  Holt,  who  was  looking  towards  the  river. 

"  Canoe  ahoy  ! " 

Sure  enough  it  was  the  Colonel.  The  boys 
rushed  to  the  water's  edge  to  peer  into  the  canoe. 
But,  sad  to  relate,  there  was  nothing  to  be  seen 
except  one  poor  little  pound  trout,  whose  silver 
side  had  been  dulled  and  parched  by  the  sun. 
Old  William  had  a  disappointed  look,  and  was 
shaking  his  head  in  a  woeful  manner. 

"Where  are  your  fish,  Randolph?"  asked  Mr. 
Holt. 


120  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

"Don't  hit  a  man  when  he's  down,  my  dear 
fellow.  I've  had  only  one  rise  this  blessed  day," 
answered  the  Colonel  as  he  stepped  out  of  the 
canoe. 

"  It  beats  anything  I  ever  see,"  said  old  Wil 
liam, —  "this  time  of  year  too." 

"I've  thrashed  every  pool  as  far  up  nearly  as 
Mississippi,  and  tried  every  fly ;  but  it  was  no 
use.  The  brutes  wouldn't  rise.  There  were 
plenty  of  them  too." 

"How  do  you  account  for  it?"  asked  Mr. 
Holt. 

"If  you'll  explain  to  me  why  salmon  do  rise 
on  some  days,  I  might  be  able  to  tell  you  why 
they  don't  on  others.  However,  it's  not  the  first 
time  in  my  life  I  have  come  home  skunked ;  and 
we  must  make  the  best  of  it.  If  an  old  sportsman 
such  as  I  sets  out  to  grumble,  what  can  one 
expect  of  the  rest  of  you?" 

"  But  you're  not  wholly  skunked :  you've  got 
the  trout,"  said  Tom,  holding  the  parboiled  fish 
up  by  the  tail  as  he  examined  it  with  interest. 

"True,  I  forgot  the  trout.  That  was  Joe's 
handiwork.  Come  here,  Joe,"  the  Colonel  said, 


SETTLING  DOWN.  121 

nodding  at  the  chunky  little  fellow,  whose  good- 
humored  face  had  lost  none  of  its  cheerfulness  in 
consequence  of  the  day's  ill  luck.  "  Come  here 
and  tell  these  boys  that  if  any  one  of  them 
expects  ever  to  be  the  owner  of  my  rifle,  he  can't 
afford  to  leave  you  out  of  the  reckoning." 

"  That's  not  unlike  what  I  have  been  saying  to 
them  regarding  his  brother,''  said  Mr.  Holt,  lay 
ing  his  hand  on  Max's  shoulder. 

"  Ah  ! "  said  the  Colonel,  casting  a  scrutinizing 
glance  at  the  elder  Fearing.  "  All  I  can  say  is, 
as  I  said  the  other  day,  the  best  sportsman  wins. 
And  there  's  no  greater  mistake  than  to  feel  cock 
sure  before! land  that  this,  that,  or  the  other  boy 
won't  get  it." 

"  Here  comes  the  other  canoe,"  broke  in  old 
William  at  this  moment.  "And  may  I  never 
gaff  another  salmon,  if  the  two  lads  are  not 
poling,"  he  added,  as  he  shaded  his  eyes. 

A  moment  later  the  canoe  was  in  full  sight, 
being  propelled  by  Jack  and  Hasy,  who,  in  spite 
of  frequent  splashing,  were  making  slow  but  sure 
progress.  It  was  five  minutes  before  they  were 
within  hailing  distance ;  and  then  the  Colonel, 


122  JACK   IX  THE   BUSH. 

making  a  trumpet  of  his  hands,  shouted,  "Any 
luck  ?  " 

There  was  no  answer. 

"  I  guess  they'  re  skunked  too,"  said  Tom. 

"W-h-a-t  1-u-c-k?"  It  was  Mr.  Holt  who 
holloaed  this  time. 

But,  though  the  inquiry  must  have  been  heard, 
those  in  the  canoe  saw  fit  not  to  make  response. 
On  they  came,  gaining  inch  by  inch  against  the 
steep  current,  until  at  last  old  William  had 
the  canoe  by  the  bow  and  held  her  fast. 

"  You  don't  say  so  I  "  exclaimed  the  Colonel,  as 
he  caught  sight  of  the  heap  of  alder  bushes 
strewn  over  the  bottom  of  the  canoe.  "  How 
many  ?  " 

His  inquiry  was  almost  simultaneous  with  the 
murmur  of  congratulation  and  pleasure  occa 
sioned  by  Jimmy's  removing  the  foliage  with  a 
proud  sweep,  and  disclosing  a  brace  of  monsters. 

"  Well  done,  well  done." 

"Who  caught  them?" 

"  Hurrah  !    A  salmon  at  last ! " 

"  Two  of  them." 

"  But    this    one  's   a  slink,"  said   the   Colonel, 


SETTLING   DOWN.  123 

completing  the  round  of  exclamations,  as  old 
William,  lifting  the  fish  separately  from  the 
canoe,  laid  them  on  the  bank. 

"  '  Him  no  bright  salmon  —  him  slink,'  as  Pete 
would  say,"  responded  Jimmy. 

"  That's  a  shame,  Hasy,"  said  Jack,  breaking 
silence  for  the  first  time.  "  I  hoped  they  wouldn't 
be  able  to  tell  the  difference." 

"Not  tell  a  slink  from  a  fresh-run  fish?" 
exclaimed  the  Colonel  with  a  laugh.  "Thank 
you,  youngster." 

"  It's  too  bad.  Them  slinks  is  a  pesky  nui 
sance,"  said  old  William. 

"  What  is  a  slink  ? "  asked  Mr.  Holt,  express 
ing  the  general  desire  for  information  on  the 
subject,  which  the  four  other  boys  were  restrained 
by  pride  from  putting  into  words. 

"  A  slink  is  a  salmon  that 's  been  in  the  river 
all  winter,  until  he  has  become  long  and  lean 
like  this  fellow.  Don't  you  see  how  different  he 
is  from  the  other?  Instead  of  being  fat  and 
shiny  and  full-bodied,  he  's  shad-bellied  and  dark 
colored.  Some  call  them  black  salmon  or  kelt," 
the  Colonel  added.  "  In  the  early  summer 


124  JACK   IN  THE   BUSH. 

they're  apt  to  be  a  nuisance,  as  William  says, 
for  they  're  ravenous,  and  after  being  hooked 
are  easy  to  kill.  I've  seen  some  of  them  make  a 
pretty  good  fight,  though.  How  was  it  with  this 
one,  Hasy,  as  I  judge  from  Jack's  words  that  he 
fell  to  your  rod  ? '' 

"  He  had  him  on  just  half  an  hour  by  the 
watch,"  exclaimed  Jimmy ;  "  and,  by  the  way 
he  acted  at  first,  I  thought  he  was  a  bright 
salmon." 

u  Well,  I  don't  see  that  there's  much  to  com 
plain  of,  then,"  said  the  Colonel.  "And  you 
killed  the  other  one,  Jack?  He  must  weigh 
very  nearly  thirty  pounds." 

"  Thirty-two,"  replied  Jack  with  a  pardonable 
air  of  triumph,  and,  inserting  his  fingers  in  the 
salmon's  gills  as  he  had  seen  the  guide  do,  lifted 
him  up  for  general  inspection. 

There  was  another  murmur  of  applause. 

"  Isn't  he  a  beauty?  Bully  for  you,  Jack,*' 
cried  Dubsy. 

"  I'd  like  to  have  him  stuffed,"  said  Tom. 

"  How  long  did  it  take  to  land  him  ?  "  asked 
Mr.  Holt. 


SETTLING   DOWN.  125 

Jimmy  snickered  at  this  inquiry,  and  looked 
delighted. 

"  A  good  while,"  answered  Jack,  who,  having 
found  it  impossible,  even  by  the  use  of  two 
hands,  to  hold  up  the  fish  for  more  than  a 
moment,  had  laid  him  down  again.  "Five 
hours  and  four  minutes." 

"What!"  exclaimed  the  Colonel. 

"  Gospel  truth,"  said  Jimmy. 

"But  what  were  you  doing  all  the  time,  for 
goodness'  sake?  Five  hours  and  four  minutes? 
Impossible ! " 

"  It  was  the  salmon  that  was  doing,  not  I. 
He  sulked  in  a  hole  for  two  hours,  and  he 
jumped  out  of  water  twelve  times.  But  I  got 
him  in  the  end,  didn't  I,  Jimmy?" 

Jack's  enthusiasm  was  contagious,  and  he  was 
plied  with  questions  concerning  the  capture  of  his 
prize.  The  Colonel  seemed  immensely  amused, 
and  every  now  and  then  would  ejaculate,  "  Five 
hours  and  four  minutes  !  That's  the  best  I  ever 
heard !  "  and  then  burst  out  laughing.  But  no 
amount  of  merriment  could  have  disturbed  Jack's 
satisfaction.  He  was  radiantly  happy,  and  would 


126  JACK  IN  THE   BUSH. 

gladly  have  recounted  the  details  of  the  encounter 
so  long  as  any  one  would  listen  to  him.  But 
Mr.  Holt,  insisting  that  he  must  be  fairly  worn 
out,  sent  him  to  his  tent  to  get  ready  for  supper. 

In  spite  of  having  cooked  during  the  greater 
part  of  the  day,  Dubsy  claimed  the  honor  of 
broiling  the  slices  of  the  bright  salmon  that  were 
served  at  the  evening  meal.  The  fish  was  in 
prime  condition,  and  fairly  melted  in  the  mouths 
of  the  hungry  sportsmen.  Jack  thought  he  had 
never  tasted  any  thing  so  good  in  his  life,  though 
he  was  rather  distressed  at  having  the  salmon 
used  for  food,  as  he  would  have  liked  to  send  it 
home  to  his  mother.  But  there  was  nothing  else 
except  canned  things  for  supper. 

"  We  run  across  that  fellow,  Pete  Labouisse," 
said  Jimmy,  in  the  course  of  conversation,  after 
they  had  gathered  round  the  fire  late  in  the 
evening. 

Old  William  growled.  "No  wonder  the  salmon 
won't  rise,"  he  said. 

uHe'd  better  not  let  me  catch  him  lighting 
any  flambeaux,"  said  the  Colonel.  "Poor  devil, 
I  don't  grudge  his  helping  himself  to  a  fish  now 


SETTLING  DOWN.  127 

and  then,  in  order  to  keep  soul  and  body  together, 
but  this  wholesale  spearing  must  be  put  a  stop 
to." 

"  To  whom  do  the  salmon  belong  ? "  asked 
Max. 

"  It's  rather  difficult  to  answer  that  question  in 
a  single  sentence,"  the  Colonel  replied.  "  Salmon 
are  included  under  what  the  law  calls  tferce 
natures ; '  that  is  to  say,  colloquially,  creatures 
which  are  not  tame ;  and  therefore  strictly  they 
belong  to  no  one.  But  being  game  and  fit  for 
food,  the  Government,  here  the  Canadian  Gov 
ernment,  claims  the  right  to  regulate  the  manner 
in  which  they  shall  be  taken,  and  to  a  certain 
extent  who  shall  take  them.  Below  tide-waters 
no  one,  except  by  express  license,  is  allowed  to 
net  or  otherwise  capture  salmon,  and  the  same 
rule  used  to  be  until  recently  in  force  regarding 
the  portion  of  the  river  above  tide-waters;  so 
that  even  if  you  or  I  owned  all  the  land  along 
the  bank,  and  lived  here  from  one  year's  end  to 
the  other,  we  should  not  have  been  permitted 
to  cast  a  fly,  on  the  ground  that  the  Government 
had  the  right  to  make  such  laws  as  it  chose 


128  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

regarding  game.  But  a  suit  was  brought  a  few 
years  ago  to  test  the  question,  and  the  Court 
decided  that  the  Government  had  no  power  to 
prevent  owners  of  land  above  where  the  tide 
flowed  from  fishing  as  much  as  they  chose.  But, 
unless  one  has  the  title  to  the  land  on  both  banks, 
it  is  permissible  to  fish  only  up  to  the  middle  of 
the  stream,  for  that  is  as  far  as  any  one's  property 
extends.  Rather  a  lengthy  explanation,  Max,  but 
I  could  scarcely  put  it  into  fewer  words." 

So  passed  the  first  day  of  camp  -  life.  The 
following  morning  it  was  Mr.  Holt's  turn  to  fish ; 
and  he  went  down  river,  taking  with  him  Max, 
while  Dubsy  and  Tom  went  up  to  the  Little  Salmon 
Hole  and  the  pools  beyond,  lying  within  three 
hours'  poling  distance  from  camp.  The  others 
stayed  at  home.  The  Colonel  had  requested 
George  Coffin  to  send  up  an  extra  canoe,  in  order 
that  the  boys  guarding  camp  might  take  lessons  in 
poling  and  paddling. 

The  first  day  proved  to  be  less  satisfactory  as 
regards  the  score  made  than  any  of  the  following 
seven.  Mr.  Holt,  who,  though  no  novice  at  trout- 
fishing,  had  never  killed  a  salmon,  came  back  with 


SETTLING  DOWN.  129 

three  beauties,  captured  at  Miller's  Landing,  a  pool 
below  where  Jack  and  Hasy  had  fished  the  day 
before,  and  having  lost  two  others,  —  one  owing  to 
the  breaking  of  the  hook,  occasioned  by  jumping, 
and  the  other  through  the  rottenness  of  the  cast 
ing-line.  Max  had  hooked  a  famous  fish,  which 
had  carried  him  half  a  mile  down  river,  and  finally 
broken  the  tip  of  his  rod  by  running  under  the 
canoe.  Tom  and  Dubsy  also  returned  with  one 
apiece.  There  was  general  rejoicing  at  so  much 
good  fortune,  and  every  one  declared  salmon-fish 
ing  as  a  sport  to  be  far  in  excess  of  his  wildest 
anticipations.  For  the  next  week  there  was  a 
continuation  of  the  same  luck.  One  day  the 
Colonel  killed  five,  averaging  twenty-three  pounds, 
one  of  which  tipped  the  scales  at  thirty-four. 
With  the  exception  of  this  last-named,  there  had 
been  none  caught  so  large  as  Jack's.  By  the  end 
of  ten  days  there  was  not  one  of  the  party  who 
had  not  killed  a  salmon,  and  most  of  them  could 
boast  of  two  or  three.  Moreover,  there  was  fine 
salmon-trout  fishing,  some  of  the  trout  running  up 
to  five  pounds,  —  beautiful  silvery  fellows  with  red 
spots,  —  the  same  fish  as  the  ordinary  brook-trout, 


130  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

according  to  the  Colonel,  but  modified  in  appear 
ance  by  the  influence  of  salt  water  and  climate. 
How  lively  they  were  !  The  boys  found  it  almost 
as  much  fun  to  fish  for  them  as  for  salmon,  if  they 
used  a  very  limber  rod  and  light  line.  There  were 
one  or  two  rods  among  the  collection  that  would 
bend  at  the  slightest  pressure,  and  they  were 
greatly  in  demand. 

44  If  you  happen  to  hook  a  grilse  with  one 
of  these,  you'll  have  your  hands  full,"  said  the 
Colonel  the  morning  he  produced  them. 

44  What's  a  grilse  ?  "  three  of  the  boys  inquired 
at  the  same  moment. 

"  A  young  salmon  that  has  been  to  the  salt 
water  once.  They  run  anywhere  from  three 
to  eight  pounds.  I  tell  you,  those  fellows  are 
lively." 

It  was  not  many  days  before  several  grilse  were 
taken  ;  and  then  the  idea  occurred  to  Jack,  that  the 
crowning  feat  in  the  piscatorial  line  would  be  to 
kill  a  big  salmon  with  the  lightest  rod.  Accord 
ingly,  one  afternoon  after  lunch,  while  Mr.  Holt 
was  taking  a  siesta  prior  to  resuming  fishing,  he 
pushed  out  in  the  canoe  alone,  under  the  semblance 


SETTLING   DOWN.  131 

of  casting  for  trout.  It  was  at  the  Little  Salmon 
Hole,  and  Jack  selected  the  most  likely  spot  in  the 
pool.  As  it  happened,  the  moment  after  his  fly 
struck  the  water,  he  saw  a  swirl.  Whir,  whir, 
whir,  whir,  went  the  little  reel,  as  if  protesting  by 
the  shrillness  of  its  tone  against  being  employed 
to  check  such  brute  force. 

"  Caesar's  ghost ! "  muttered  Jack,  as  the  rod 
bent  almost  double  under  the  feeble  pressure  which 
he  ventured  to  put  upon  it.  Out  went  the  line  at 
a  terrific  rate.  There  was  only  some  fifty  yards  of 
it  in  all,  and  soon  Jack  saw  that  there  was  very 
little  left  on  the  reel.  What  should  he  do? 
What  could  he  do  ?  He  looked  toward  the  shore. 
Mr.  Holt  and  old  William  were  both  still 
dozing. 

Whir,  whir,  whir,  whir,  whir  —  snap !  Then 
Jack  realized  that  the  tip  of  the  delicate  rod  was 
dangling  down  in  a  shattered  condition,  and  that 
the  salmon  was  on  his  way  to  Gaspe  Basin  with  all 
but  a  short  piece  of  the  Colonel's  silk  line.  There 
had  been  one  brief  moment  of  extreme  tension 
after  the  last  inch  of  line  had  run  out,  and  this 
was  the  result. 


132  JACK  IN  THE  BUSH. 

He  had  to  listen  to  a  lecture  that  evening. 
"  Do  you  consider  you  acted  like  a  sportsman, 
young  man,  in  trying  to  land  a  thirty-pound  fish 
with  a  twig  of  a  tree  and  a  skein  of  thread?" 
asked  the  Colonel.  "  Thought  you  could  stop 
him  ?  Nonsense !  It  was  sheer  bravado.  You 
might  as  well  have  tried  to  kill  a  bear  with  a  toy 
pistol." 

The  culprit  hung  his  head.  The  taunt  of  un 
sportsmanlike  behavior  nettled  him  ;  for  he  prided 
himself  on  being  a  thorough  woodsman,  and  was 
determined  that  no  one  should  outstrip  him  in  the 
competition  for  the  rifle.  Yet  here  he  had  shown 
himself  without  doubt  a  silly  fellow.  Why  had  he 
yielded  to  the  impulse  ?  He  had  known  well 
enough  that  the  chances  were  ninety-nine  out  of  a 
hundred  he  would  not  be  able  to  check  the  salmon. 
He  had  not  shown  skill  or  ingenuity ;  he  had 
simply  been  mischievous. 

During  these  ten  days  the  camp  had  been  trans 
formed  into  a  veritable  establishment.  Chief 
among  the  improvements  was  a  smoke-house, 
so  called,  —  a  hole  in  the  ground  filled  with 
smouldering  fire,  surmounted  by  an  arrangement 


SETTLING  DOWN.  133 

of  bark  and  boughs,  in  shape  not  unlike  a  circular 
tent,  by  means  of  which  the  smoke  was  confined. 
Smoked  salmon  such  as  one  ordinarily  buys  from 
the  grocer  has  been  freely  salted  as  well  as  dried, 
and  is  a  very  different  affair  from  that  treated  to 
be  eaten  on  the  spot  or  within  a  comparatively 
short  time.  u  Kippered  "  is  the  technical  term,  and 
a  delicious  adjunct  it  makes  to  the  ordinary  camp 
food.  There  was  also  a  variety  of  benches,  chairs, 
and  tables,  the  result  of  experiments  in  carpentry 
by  one  or  another  of  the  boys.  The  lean-to  for 
the  guides  had  been  enlarged  to  a  log  cabin,  and 
from  the  flag-pole  in  front  of  the  main  house  the 
stars  and  stripes  flapped  on  the  breeze.  But  what 
interested  the  six  youthful  spirits  most  was 
the  pit  which  had  been  dug  some  three  or  four 
hundred  yards  from  camp,  and  covered  with 
boughs  so  as  to  produce  the  semblance  of  firm 
ground.  Into  this  it  was  the  hope  of  all,  and 
especially  of  Tom,  that  some  wild  animal  might 
tumble,  in  the  course  of  trying  to  discover  the 
meaning  of  so  many  signs  of  civilization  in  the 
heart  of  the  forest. 

Mr.  Holt's  plan  was  to  remain  about  a  fortnight 


134  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

at  Camp  No.  1,  and  then  to  push  on  to  the  Big 
Salmon  Hole,  a  day's  journey  either  by  water  or 
by  land,  as  there  was  a  path  through  the  woods, 
more  or  less  blocked  up  by  windfalls,  but  still 
that  could  be  followed,  leading  up  to  it.  At  the 
Big  Salmon  Hole  was  another  house,  smaller,  and 
not  quite  so  comfortable  as  that  below.  Here 
the  party  was  to  pitch  camp  again  ;  and  after  the 
pools  in  the  vicinity  had  been  exhausted,  another 
five  miles  would  bring  them  to  the  Narrows,  as 
it  was  termed,  a  point  where  the  river  diminished 
materially  in  width,  and  flowed  between  towering 
precipices.  Here  also  was  the  first  stopping- 
place  of  the  salmon  in  any  considerable  numbers, 
their  farther  progress  up  river  being  checked  by 
a  small  cataract.  According  to  the  Colonel, 
hundreds  of  fish  could  be  seen  in  the  line  of  pools 
stretching  below  the  fall  by  any  one  who  looked 
down  from  the  over-hanging  trees  when  the  water 
was  low  and  clear.  But  many  of  the  salmon,  he 
said,  chose  their  spawning-beds  up  farther,  and 
after  remaining  at  the  Narrows  for  a  while  made 
nothing  of  ascending  the  fall.  Night  was  the 
favorite  time  for  them  to  attempt  the  leap,  but 


SETTLING   DOWN.  135 

it  was  no  uncommon  thing  to  see  them  by  day 
light  climb  up  the  roaring  cascade  by  balancing 
themselves  on  their  tails  and  swimming  stoutly. 
Now  and  then  a  leap  in  the  air,  followed  by  a 
splash,  told  the  story  of  mistaken  aim ;  but  it  was 
only  a  question  of  perseverance  when  all  who 
desired  it  reached  in  safety  the  upper  pools  lying 
at  intervals  along  the  ten  or  twelve  miles  which 
remained  of  the  river  before  it  was  lost  in  a  lake 
deeply  buried  in  the  woods. 

One  afternoon  about  the  middle  of  the  second 
week  —  it  was  the  day  before  the  Fourth  of  July, 
which  was  to  be  celebrated  as  became  sons  of 
independence  —  Joe  Fearing,  who  was  at  Miller's 
Landing,  happened  to  perceive  a  salmon  within 
a  few  feet  of  the  shore.  He  was  standing  on  a 
sand  beach  where  the  water  was  clear,  and  the 
fish  was  so  close  to  him  that  by  moving  forward 
a  step  he  could  have  touched  him  with  his  hand. 
His  first  impulse  was  to  call  Dubsy  Perkins, 
who  with  old  William  was  getting  lunch  ready ; 
then  he  thought  what  a  fine  thing  it  would  be 
to  haul  the  fish  ashore  unaided.  The  gaff  was 
lying  in  the  canoe  near  by:  so  he  stole  quietly 


136  JACK   IN    THE    HUSH. 

away,  and  having  supplied  himself  with  the  mur 
derous  weapon,  which  was  very  nearly  as  tall  as 
he  was,  returned  to  the  spot.  The  salmon  was 
still  there,  comparatively  motionless,  and  revealing 
life  only  by  the  slow  vibration  of  his  fins  and 
tail.  It  seemed  to  Joe  that  here  was  an  oppor 
tunity  for  distinction  not  to  be  neglected.  To 
capture  a  salmon  by  main  force  ought  to  improve 
considerably  his  chances  of  being  named  the  best 
sportsman  of  the  party,  and  therefore  of  winning 
the  rifle.  So  he  reasoned  ;  nor  did  it  seem  to  him 
that  he  ought  to  abstain  from  wading  the  neces 
sary  steps  because  of  not  having  on  his  rubber 
boots.  Did  old  William  or  Jimmy  ever  hesitate 
to  go  up  to  their  waists  if  there  were  occasion 
for  it  ?  And  surely  here  was  an  occasion  if  there 
ever  was  one.  Here  at  last  was  a  chance  to 
prove,  that,  though  brought  up  abroad,  he  was  no 
less  enterprising  and  muscular  than  the  other 
fellows.  They  should  realize  that  only  the 
opportunity  had  been  lacking. 

Joe  had  seen  old  William  and  Jimmy  gaff 
salmon,  and  understood  that  it  was  important 
to  let  the  hook  sink  well  over  the  fish's  back 


SETTLING   DOWN.  137 

before  drawing  it  toward  him,  so  as  to  reach 
the  spine.  The  salmon  was  a  big  one,  not  far 
from  twenty-live  pounds.  Would  he  be  very 
difficult  to  lift?  Would  he  splash  much?  These 
were  minor  considerations,  and  not  worth  thinking 
about.  How  still  he  kept!  Could  he  possibly 
be  dead?  Dead?  Does  a  dead  fish  move  his 
fins?  Reassured  by  this  reflection,  Joe  reached 
out,  and  after  a  pause  jabbed  the  hook  with 
all  his  strength  into  the  salmon's  side,  and 
began  to  pull.  He  was  up  to  his  calves  in  the 
water,  and  the  frantic  struggles  of  the  fish 
forced  him  forward  in  a  moment  up  to  his 
knees.  There  was  such  a  terrific  splashing, 
that  his  eyes  were  blinded.  He  had  the  monster 
on  the  surface,  but  it  was  all  he  could  do  with 
both  hands  to  keep  him  there.  The  handle 
of  the  gaff  seemed  inconveniently  long. 

"Dubsy,"  he  suddenly  shouted,  without  exactly 
meaning  to.  uDu-b-sy!" 

"  O  William,  Joe's  overboard  !  " 

Such  was  Dubsy's  agonized  ejaculation. 
Startled  by  Joe's  second  cry,  he  had  looked 
just  in  time  to  see  his  comrade,  who  seemed  to 


138  JACK   IX  THE   BUSH. 

be  engaged  in  a  terrible  hand-to-hand  encounter 
with  something  or  somebody,  lose  his  balance, 
and  topple  into  the  river. 

"  Into  the  canoe  —  quick  !  "  exclaimed  William. 

What  had  happened?  Joe  was  overboard 
indeed,  and,  despite  his  frantic  struggles  to 
recover  himself,  was  being  carried  down  stream 
by  the  current  at  a  lively  rate.  For  the  first 
moment  or  two  he  seemed  to  be  turning  somer 
saults,  and  then  some  feet  ahead  appeared  the 
handle  of  the  gaff  above  the  surface,  bobbing 
in  a  wonderful  way,  and  moving  even  still  more 
rapidly  than  he. 

44  What  has  got  him  ?  "  asked  Dubsy,  confident, 
apparently,  that  Joe  had  fallen  prey  to  some 
huge  river  creature. 

44  Shove  off,"  said  William,  without  answering 
the  question,  and  the  canoe  shot  forward  in 
pursuit. 

Meanwhile,  Joe's  sensations  may  be  said  to 
have  been  mixed.  Unable  to  pull  the  salmon 
out,  or  rather,  while  in  the  very  throes  of  the 
tussle,  his  foot  had  slipped,  and  he  had  pitched 
forward.  But  conscious  that  his  reputation  was 


SETTLING  DOWN.  139 

at  stake,  he  had  still  retained  his  hold  on  the 
gaff.  Then  had  followed  a  series  of  involun 
tary  gymnastics  on  his  part,  performed  midway 
between  the  surface  and  the  bottom  of  the 
river,  which  ended  somehow  in  his  grasp  being 
ruthlessly  torn  away.  As  blinded  and  gasping 
he  rose  above  water,  the  instincts  of  self-pres 
ervation  neutralized  temporarily  the  bitterness 
of  defeat,  and  he  strove  to  gain  a  footing.  For 
a  moment  he  was  unable  to  do  this,  for  the 
river,  though  but  moderately  swift  at  this  point, 
was  deep.  But,  being  able  to  swim,  he  did  not 
lose  his  head,  and  almost  immediately  he  was 
swept  beyond  the  pool  to  where  he  felt  his  toes 
touch  bottom.  Twice  he  slipped  on  the  stones 
and  was  submerged,  but  dragged  himself  ashore 
just  before  the  canoe  reached  him.  Then  the 
smart  of  humiliation  became  superior  to  every 
other  feeling,  and  in  the  hope  of  still  redeeming 
himself,  he  cried  to  his  would-be  rescuers, — 

"Where  is  he?     Where  is  he?" 

Old  William,  who  had  divined  the  situation 
and  explained  it  to  Dubsy,  pointed  ahead  to 
the  still  bobbing  gaff,  and,  sympathizing  with 


140  JACK  IN  THE   BUSH. 

the  little  fellow's  desire  to  recapture  if  possible 
his  late  antagonist,  shoved  off  the  canoe  with  his 
pole,  and  followed  after. 

The  frightened  salmon,  in  his  efforts  to  shake 
out  the  cruel  hook,  was  dashing  from  one  side 
of  the  river  to  the  other. 

"  We'll  get  him  yet,'1  said  Dnbsy. 

Only  a  few  thrusts  with  the  pole  sufficed  to 
send  the  canoe  alongside  of  the  struggling  fish. 
After  one  or  two  ineffectual  attempts  to  seize 
the  handle  of  the  gaff,  William  got  hold  of 
it  at  last,  and  amid  a  thundering  splashing, 
which  threatened  to  upset  the  canoe,  lifted 
the  salmon  out  of  water,  and  dumped  him 
inside. 

"Hurrah,"  shouted  Dubsy.  "We've  got  him, 
Joe." 

"Bully  for  you,"  was  the  grateful  answer, 
and  a  few  moments  later  the  thoroughly  soused 
salmon-spearer  had  the  satisfaction  of  gazing 
upon  his  victim.  Joe  was  fairly  wringing  with 
water,  but  his  ardor  was  in  no  whit  dampened. 

"  How  much  does  he  weigh  ?  "  he  asked  tremu 
lously. 


SETTLING  DOWN.  141 

Dubsy  produced  the  scales.  "  Twenty-six  and 
a  half,"  he  said,  as  William  held  him  up. 

"  Blind  fish,"  observed  William.  "I  thought 
as  much." 

Such  was  certainly  the  case.  It  was  easy  to 
see,  on  examination,  that  the  salmon  had  lost  the 
sight  of  both  eyes.  A  sort  of  film  was  spread  over 
each  of  them.  Moreover,  there  were  white  streaks 
which  looked  sore  in  places  about  his  head. 

"  He's  been  into  the  nets,"  said  William.  "  He 
must  have  got  caught  in  'em,  and  was  cut  trying 
to  get  away." 

"  Poor  fellow  ! "  said  Dubsy. 

"  That  explains  his  letting  me  get  so  near  him," 
said  Joe.  "  I  could  almost  touch  him.  I  tell  you 
he  pulled,  but  I  think  I'd  have  got  him  ashore  if 
my  foot  hadn't  slipped." 

"  You  look  like  a  drownded  rat,"  said  William, 
breaking  into  a  guffaw  as  he  surveyed  the  drip 
ping  lad.  "  The  best  thing  you  can  do  is  to  pole 
for  a  spell,  so  as  not  to  catch  cold." 

This  seemed  sensible ;  and  Joe  had  just  stepped 
into  the  bow,  preparatory  to  heading  the  canoe 
for  home,  when  old  William  added,  — 


142  JACK  IN   THE   BUSH. 

44  What  you  going  to  do  with  the  fish  ?  " 

"  Take  him  home,  of  course,"  Joe  answered 
with  evident  surprise. 

"  Well,  the  dog'll  eat  him,  I  suppose." 

"  Bingo  eat  him  ?  Not  much.  I  intend  to 
have  him  for  supper  to-night,"  answered  Joe 
stoutly. 

44 Eat  a  blind  salmon?" 

44  Why  not  ?  "  the  boys  asked  simultaneously. 

44  Joe  Eden  used  to  tell  of  how  he'd  been  into 
the  woods  with  a  party  that1  had  seen  a  man  die 
from  eating  blind  salmon.  I  wouldn't  take  a  bite 
of  one  for  a  fifty-dollar  bill,"  answered  the  guide 
with  deliberation. 

Here  was  food  for  reflection,  at  any  rate. 
44  But  I  thought  he  got  blind  running  into  the 
nets,"  said  Dubsy  presently. 

44  He's  been  into  the  nets,  it's  easy  to  see  from 
them  white  patches  on  his  head  ;  but  maybe  he 
got  blinded  there,  and  maybe  not." 

44  He  might  have  been  sick,"  said  Joe.  44 1 
don't  think  I'd  be  scared  to  eat  him,  anyway. 
Would  you,  Dubsy  ? »' 

"  You  might  be  dead  men  to-morrow,"  observed 


SETTLING  DOWN.  143 

old  William  impressively,  "  and  I  wouldn't  bet  a 
herring  against  it,  neither." 

It  was  difficult  to  answer  such  conviction  as 
this,  and  a  silence  ensued  which  was  scarcely 
broken  until  camp  was  reached.  But  so  keen  was 
Joe's  satisfaction  in  his  exploit,  that  the  sight 
of  Jimmy  on  the  shore  made  him  forget  all  but 
glory.  He  eagerly  exclaimed,  "I  gaffed  a  live 
salmon.  He  pulled  me  overboard,  but  William 
saved  him.  He's  blind  in  both  eyes." 

Jimmy  cast  a  glance  into  the  canoe. 

"There  ain't  much  luck  in  gaffing  a  blind 
salmon,"  was  his  comment.  "Pretty  moist  you 
be,  Joe." 

This  was  scarcely  an  enthusiastic  welcome. 
Indeed,  so  depressing  was  its  influence,  that 
before  making  any  explanation  of  what  had 
occurred,  the  two  boys  accosted  Mr.  Holt,  who 
came  up  a.  moment  later,  with  the  questions, — 

"  Is  blind  salmon  poisonous  ?  " 

"  Would  you  eat  blind  salmon  ?  " 

The  master  naturally  inquired  why  they  wished 
to  know.  Thereupon,  the  adventure  was  set  forth 
by  them,  and  old  William's  observations  repeated. 


144  JACK   IN  THE  BUSH. 

"  Let's  see  the  salmon,"  said  Mr.  Holt ;  so  they 
went  down  to  the  waters  edge  and  examined  the 
fish,  which  had  been  left  lying  on  the  bank  by 
the  guides. 

"  He's  a  beauty  to  look  at,  certainly,"  con 
tinued  Mr.  Holt,  "  Wi-1-l-i-a-ni !  " 

The  guide  approached. 

"  Please  cut  this  fish  open." 

William  did  so.     "  Blind  fish,"  he  said. 

"The  flesh  looks  in  first-rate  condition.  He 
lost  his  sight  in  the  nets,  I  imagine." 

Old  William  shook  his  head  ominously. 
"  Blind  salmon  no  salmon.  I  didn't  see  him  get 
blinded,  sir." 

"  Well,  you  may  cook  him  for  supper  to-night. 
If  we  are  sick  to-morrow,  you'll  be  able  to  say, 
'  I  told  you  so/  At  any  rate,  we  can't  complain 
we  were  not  warned,"  said  Mr.  Holt  with  a 
laugh. 

But  it  was  no  laughing  matter  to  William. 
He  nodded  vehemently  as  Dubsy  remarked,  "  He 
says  we  may  be  all  dead  men  to-morrow." 

"  Nonsense,"  answered  the  master.  "  That 
salmon  is  just  as  wholesome  as  any  of  those  we 


SETTLING  DOWN.  145 

have  killed,  you  may  depend  upon  it.  We'll  let 
him  lie  here  until  the  Colonel  returns,  and  see 
what  he  says." 

Colonel  Russell  on  his  arrival  half  an  hour  later 
burst  out  laughing  on  being  informed  of  the  fears 
of  William  and  Jimmy,  and  besides  ordering  the 
salmon  to  be  served  for  supper  insisted  on  eating 
heartily  of  it,  in  order  that  there  need  be  no  doubt 
as  to  its  harmlessn ess.  By  and  by,  when  they 
were  sitting  round  the  fire,  he  suddenly  said  to 
Joe, — 

"  I  suppose  you  think  you  did  a  pretty  smart 
thing  to-day,  }roung  man  ?  " 

"Nothing  extra,"  responded  Joe  modestly.  Be 
sides,  there  was  a  touch  of  sarcasm  as  it  seemed  to 
him  in  the  Colonel's  tone,  that  put  him  on  his 
guard. 

"  At  that  rate,  there'll  be  no  chance  for  the  rest 
of  the  boys.  You'll  get  the  rifle,  sure." 

There  was  no  doubt  now  that  the  Colonel  was 
being  a  little  humorous  at  Joe's  expense,  but  the 
other  boys  could  not  understand  why.  To  them 
Joe's  exploit  seemed  praiseworthy,  and  a  decided 
feather  in  his  cap. 


146  JACK  IN   THE  BUSH. 

Joe  made  no  reply,  and  there  was  a  pause  before 
the  Colonel  said,  — 

"  You  and  Pete  Labouisse  would  make  a  pretty 
strong  team.  The  fish  don't  get  much  chance 
when  either  of  you  are  round.'* 

"  I  didn't  think  there  was  any  harm  in  it," 
faltered  Joe. 

"  Pete  would  say  the  same  thing." 

"  He  showed  pluck  in  holding  on,  at  any  rate," 
remarked  Mr.  Holt,  observing  Joe's  unhappy 
expression. 

"Pete  also  is  apt  to  hold  on  to  any  thing  he 
gets  his  spear  into,"  said  the  Colonel  with  a  laugh. 
u  I  don't  wish  to  be  hard  on  you,  Joe ;  but,  if  you 
expect  to  be  considered  a  sportsman,  you  must 
learn  to  give  creatures  some  slight  chance  for  life. 
I  remember  once  seeing  a  man  who  was  out  gun 
ning  let  a  flock  of  birds  sail  past  him  without 
drawing  trigger.  c  Why  in  the  name  of  all  pos 
sessed  didn't  you  fire  ?  '  1  asked.  k  I  was  waiting 
for  them  to  light,'  he  answered.  That  man  was 
too  grasping.  You  certainly  did  show  grit  after 
you  had  gaffed  the  salmon,  but  I  don't  think  you 
have  any  great  reason  to  be  proud  of  creeping  up 


SETTLING   DOWN.  147 

to  a  blind  fish  and  giving  him  a  death-blow.  It's 
too  much  like  stabbing  a  man  in  the  dark." 

"  I  didn't  know  he  was  blind." 

"  But  you  did  your  best  to  prevent  his  seeing 
you." 

"  Don't  you  think  it's  rather  cruel  to  kill  fish, 
anyway  ?  "  asked  Haseltine. 

At  this  question  Mr.  Holt  chuckled  slightly. 

"There  is  a  nut  for  you  to  crack,  Randolph,'* 
he  said. 

"  Yes,  I  appreciated  that  I  was  exposing  myself 
to  some  such  inquiry,"  responded  the  Colonel. 
"Your  frank  question,  Hasy,"  he  added,  "deserves 
a  frank  answer;  and  mine  is  that,  personally, 
1  do  not  consider  shooting  birds  and  beasts  and 
killing  fish  as  cruel,  provided  the  canons  of  sport 
are  not  disregarded.  I  suppose  every  humane 
man  is  conscious  at  times  of  feeling  qualms  while 
observing  the  struggles  of  a  fish  on  the  hook,  and 
made  to  reflect  that  he  is  inflicting  needless  tor 
ture.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  there  is  no  denying 
that  there  are  few  things  more  adapted  to  make 
men  healthy,  vigorous,  and  manly,  than  hunting 
and  fishing  conducted  in  such  a  way  that  skill, 


148  JACK  IN  THE  BUSH. 

energy,  perseverance,  and  endurance  are  called 
largely  into  play.  If  one  sees  a  partridge  sitting 
on  a  tree  and  bangs  away  at  him,  or  knocks  him 
down  with  a  stone  or  club,  as  I  have  seen  men 
who  called  themselves  sportsmen  do,  it  is  in  my 
opinion  animal  murder,  unless  one  is  absolutely  in 
need  of  food.  Think,  though,  how  many  valuable 
qualities  are  put  in  training  by  legitimate  hunting 
or  fishing,  —  patience,  alertness,  courage,  vigi 
lance,  good  temper,  and  a  host  of  others.  It  is 
their  development,  it  seems  to  me,  which  justifies 
acts  which  viewed  coldly  by  themselves  might 
fairly  be  called  cruel,  and  so  unmanly.  That  is 
my  view  on  the  subject,  Hasy." 


THE   FOURTH   OF   JULY.  149 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE   FOUJRTH   OF   JULY. 

THE  dawn  of  the  glorious  Fourth,  which  is 
heralded  on  all  Yankee  soil  by  the  tooting  of 
horns,  and  the  bursting  of  Chinese  crackers, 
broke  calm  and  still.  The  party  in  camp  was 
enjoying  the  sound  refreshing  slumber  peculiar 
to  those  who  have  been  all  day  in  the  open  air. 
Doubtless,  the  younger  spirits  were  dreaming  of 
how  the  anniversary  might  be  spent  in  the  woods 
were  there  no  check  on  the  use  of  powder,  for 
there  had  been  whispered  suggestions  made  the 
foregoing  evening  over  the  camp-fire,  to  the  effect 
that  the  day  must  not  pass  without  some  appro 
priate  demonstration.  There  had  been  a  time, 
only  a  year  or  two  before,  when  Jack  Hall  and 
Haseltine  would  have  gloried  in  plotting  to  pro 
duce  explosions.  They  had  been  members  of  a 
so-called  "  Big  Four  "  at  Dr.  Meredith's  school, 


150  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

a  mysterious  combination,  whose  offenses  against 
order  had  resulted  in  the  end  rather  disastrously 
for  its  members.  Moreover,  the  two  boys  had 
been  led,  by  the  influence  of  the  Doctor,  to  appre 
ciate  to  some  extent  the  error  of  their  ways,  and 
were  therefore  disposed  to  be  cautious  in  origi 
nating  or  abetting  mischief.  But,  as  Tom'  had 
suggestively  inquired,  what  objection  could  there 
be  to  waking  up  the  woods  a  little?  There 
were  no  neighbors  whose  property  could  be  in 
jured,  and  the  wild  creatures  need  scarcely  be 
consulted. 

It  was  this  same  Tom,  who,  just  as  the  eastern 
horizon  was  becoming  luminous,  started  up  from 
his  bunk  and  listened.  Was  not  that  Bingo 
barking,  and  barking  excitedly?  Tom  reached 
forward  and  felt  at  the  foot  of  his  stretcher, 
where  the  little  dog  ordinarily  slept,  but  he 
was  not  there.  It  was  certainly  Bingo.  What 
could  the  matter  be  ?  He  must  have  found 
something,  and  was  waiting  for  his  master  to 
come. 

"  Hi  there,  Max,"  Tom  said,  in  a  hoarse  whis 
per.  "  Do  you  hear  Bingo  ?  " 


THE  FOURTH  OF  JULY.  151 

"  What  is  it,  Tom  ? "  answered  Max,  in  a 
bewildered  fashion. 

"  Bingo's  barking,  and  I'm  going  out  to  see 
what's  up." 

Tom  was  already  out  of  bed  and  slipping  on  his 
clothes.  "  May  be  something  has  fallen  into  the 
trap,"  he  continued.  "  I  hope  it's  a  bear/' 

"  Are  you  going  to  call  Jimmy  ?  "  asked  Max. 

"No,  indeed." 

"  I  guess  I'll  go  too." 

"  Hurry  up,  then." 

As  Max  threw  off  his  blankets,  he  felt  himself 
trembling  all  over.  He  had  decided  that  if  there 
was  any  chance  of  an  encounter  with  a  large 
animal,  he  ought  not  to  miss  it,  and  yet  he  did 
not  exactly  hanker  for  anything  of  the  sort.  He 
shivered  a  little  as  he  thrust  his  bare  feet  into 
his  boots,  in  response  to  Tom's  suggestion  not  to 
mind  his  stockings,  and  put  on  his  great-coat. 

"  Come  on.     Got  your  knife  ?  " 

Max  had  not.  With  fumbling  fingers  he  drew 
it  from  the  sheath  of  his  belt-strap,  which  was 
hanging  beside  his  head,  and  thus  armed  fol 
lowed  Tom  outside.  No  one  else  was  stirring, 


152  JACK  IN  THE   BUSH. 

but  Bingo  was  barking  louder  and  more  fiercely 
than  ever. 

"He  must  be  close  to  the  trap,"  said  Tom. 

It  was  barely  light  enough  to  see  ahead  when 
they  were  under  cover  of  the  trees.  The  pit 
was  some  three  hundred  yards  from  the  limits  of 
the  camp,  and  the  way  to  it  was  indicated  by 
blaizes,  which  were  difficult  to  distinguish  at  this 
early  hour.  But  Tom  simply  went  in  the  direc 
tion  indicated  by  his  dog's  barking,  pushing 
through  the  underbrush,  and  clambering  over 
fallen  trunks.  Max  followed  close  behind,  trying 
not  to  mind  the  scratches,  and  rather  fearful  of 
stabbing  himself  with  the  bare  knife. 

"  If  there  was  anything  in  the  trap,  you  wouldn't 
be  able  to  distinguish  it,"  he  said,  as  he  picked 
himself  up  after  tripping  on  a  root. 

"  That's  a  fact,"  said  Tom,  stopping  short.  u  I 
guess  I'll  go  back  and  get  a  lantern.  You  wait 
here." 

"All  right,"  answered  Max.  He  spoke  non 
chalantly,  but  he  would  have  preferred  company. 
Tom  had  started  off,  and  the  only  thing  for  him 
to  do  was  to  sit  down  on  a  fallen  log  arid  wait. 


THE   FOURTH   OF   JULY.  153 

For  a  few  moments  he  was  kept  in  countenance 
by  the  sound  of  Tom's  retreating  movements  ;  then 
there  was  nothing  to  break  the  stillness  of  the 
woods  but  Bingo's  barking,  which  ceased  only 
for  sufficient  intervals  to  let  the  little  animal 
recover  breath. 

All  of  a  sudden,  however,  he  heard  in  front  of 
him,  but  proceeding  from  a  direction  to  one  side 
of  where  the  pit  was,  a  crackling  of  twigs.  Some 
thing  was  approaching.  It  could  not  be  Bingo. 
The  creature  or  creatures  —  for,  judging  by  the 
noise,  there  might  well  be  more  than  one  —  were 
moving  slowly  but  steadily. 

Max  peered  through  the  gloom.  His  heart 
beat  very  fast,  and  he  felt  an  inclination  to 
retreat.  But  that  would  never  do.  If  it  should 
turn  out  to  be  only  a  rabbit, —  for  Jack's  experi 
ence  had  been  made  public  by  Haseltine,  —  he 
would  be  laughed  at  more  than  ever,  and  he 
was  constantly  being  held  up  to  ridicule  on  ac 
count  of  his  inaptitude  as  a  sportsman.  Would 
it  not  be  better  to  call  Tom  ?  No,  Tom  would 
be  certain  to  return  as  soon  as  he  could,  at  any 
rate,  and  a  cry  might  well  seem  pusillanimous. 


154  JACK   IX  THE    BUSH. 

Here  might  be  a  chance  at  last  to  show  himself 
to  advantage. 

Nearer  and  louder  came  the  trampling,  until  he 
presently  beheld  what  looked  like  a  small  New 
foundland  dog  appear  from  behind  the  nearest 
tree,  snuffing  the  ground,  and  moving  at  a  leis 
urely,  waddling  gait,  —  a  circumstance  which  he 
did  not  especially  notice,  so  relieved  was  he  to  find 
that  the  beast  was  only  a  puppy.  But  how  in 
the  world  could  a  dog  be  here,  and  whose  dog  was 
it  ?  While  revolving  these  conundrums,  Max 
plucked  up  courage  so  far  as  to  murmur,  — 

"  Poor  fellow ;  nice  fellow  !  Come  here,  sir." 

But  the  animal  thus  apostrophized  paid  no 
attention  ;  merely  keeping  on  his  way,  which  lay 
apparently  off  to  one  side  of  where  Max  was 
standing. 

4k  Nice  old  doggy ;  pauvre  petit  chien,"  con 
tinued  Max,  in  his  efforts  to  be  conciliatory. 

Either  because  of  the  French  or  because  he 
spoke  louder,  the  beast  stood  still,  and  fixed  his 
eyes  on  him. 

"  Nice  fellow  ! "     Max  held  out  his  hand. 

But  doggy  was  evidently  not  sociably  inclined, 


THE  FOURTH  OF  JULY.  155 

for  he  stood  stupidly  staring  at  Max  out  of  eyes 
that  struck  him  as  strange  looking.  The  guides 
had  spoken  of  wild-cats.  Were  there  wild  dogs 
also,  he  wondered.  Just  then  he  heard  Tom's 
welcome  footsteps,  and  a  moment  later  could 
perceive  the  glimmer  of  the  approaching  lan 
tern.  Bingo  was  still  barking.  The  little 
terrier  seemed  not  to  enjoy  the  proximity  of 
another  of  his  kind. 

44  Max,"  uttered  Tom  in  a  deep  whisper,  hav-    ' 
ing   evidently   suppressed    his   voice    so    as    not 
to   alarm   whatever   might   be    ahead,    "  are    you 
there?" 

44  Yes ;  it's  only  a  dog." 

44  Sugar  !  whose  dog  ?  " 

44  A  Newfoundland  pup." 

44  How  do  you  know  ?  "  Tom  exclaimed  breath 
lessly,  as  he  put  one  leg  over  the  tree-trunk  in 
front  of  which  Max  was  standing. 

44  There  he  is."  Max  pointed  with  his  knife- 
blade. 

Tom  looked,  and  for  a  moment  gazed  in  a  sort 
of  brown  study,  then,  with  a  repetition  of  the 
same  whisper,  but  fifty-fold  intensified,  exclaimed, 


156  JACK  IN  THE  BUSH. 

"  Newfoundland  pup !  Great  Caesar's  ghost ! 
it's  a  bear  cub." 

"Is  it?*'  ejaculated  Max. 

Tom's  eyes  were  fairly  glowing  with  excite 
ment  as  he  stood  for  a  moment  reflecting  on 
the  situation.  The  idea  had  at  once  occurred 
to  him  of  capturing  the  beast  alive. 

"I  say,  Max,"  he  said,  "you  stay  here,  and 
I'll  creep  round  behind  so  as  to  cut  him  off.  If 
he  starts  forward,  grab  him." 

"  And  put  the  knife  into  him  ?  " 

"Of  course  not.  I  tell  you  it's  only  a  cub. 
Fling  your  coat  over  his  head,  if  you're  afraid 
of  his  biting  you.  He's  a  buster.  Just  the 
right  size  to  tame." 

"  Oh ! "  said  Max,  beginning  to  understand. 

The  little  bear,  as  if  divining  the  stratagem, 
was  showing  signs  of  beating  a  retreat.  Away 
went  Tom,  stealing  circuitously.  The  victim 
suddenly  hastened  his  movements,  and  disap 
peared  from  Max's  view.  Then  there  came 
various  sounds  indicative  of  a  struggle. 

"  I've  got  him  ;  I've  got  him,"  shouted  Tom, 
but  in  such  a  tone  as  rather  to  convey  the  im- 


THE   FOURTH   OF  JULY.  157 

pression  to  an  unprejudiced  listener  that  the 
matter  was  not  fully  settled. 

"  Oh,  oh !  stop  him,  Max !  Look  out  for 
him." 

These  exclamations  were  almost  simultaneous 
with  the  re-appearance  of  the  cub  making  straight 
toward  the  other  guard.  It  was  no  time  for 
hesitation.  Remembering  Tom's  suggestion,  Max 
stripped  off  his  overcoat,  and,  throwing  it  at 
the  creature,  cast  himself  on  top  at  full  length 
at  the  same  moment. 

"  Good  on  your  head,"  he  heard  Tom  shriek 
from  behind,  and  he  clung  to  the  furry  strug 
gling  mass  with  all  his  strength.  But  by  this 
time  Tom  was  down  beside  him,  and  was  holding 
on  too. 

".Can  you  manage  him  alone  for  a  minute?" 
asked  Tom. 

"I  guess  so." 

"  Look  out  he  doesn't  nip  you.  He  bit  me 
when  I  had  him  by  the  tail,  and  it  hurt  like 
fury,"  continued  Tom,  drawing  a  cord  from  his 
pocket,  and  watching  his  opportunity  to  slip  a 
noose  round  the  cub's  head.  "Let  him  go  now, 


158  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

Max.  He's  all  right,"  he  added  gleefully,  when 
this  was  accomplished. 

Despite  his  struggles,  small  Bruin  was  a 
prisoner. 

"  Hooray ! "  Tom  cried  with  a  jubilant  caper. 
"Now,  let's  see  what  Bingo  is  barking  at. 
Whoa,  Emma!"  he  added  to  the  struggling 
whelp.  "You  take  the  lantern,  Max,  and  go 
ahead  and  see  if  there's  anything  in  the  pit, 
and  I'll  hold  this  fellow  until  you  get  back. 
Isn't  he  a  beauty?  What'll  you  sell  him  for?" 

"  He's  yours,  isn't  he  ?  "  answered  Max,  looking 
puzzled. 

"  No ;  it  was  you  who  caught  him.  If  it 
hadn't  been  for  you,  he'd  have  got  away,  sure 
pop,"  said  Tom  stoutly.  "  I  suggested  the  over 
coat,  though,  didn't  I  ?  " 

"  He's  yours  as  much  as  mine.  I  should  never 
have  thought  of  stopping  him  but  for  you." 

"Well,"  said  Tom,  "if  you  think  it's  fair, 
we'll  go  snacks  on  him.  Won't  it  be  fun 
training  him?  Hurry  up  now,  and  I'll  wait 
here."  He  looked  radiant. 

Max,  who  was  feeling  pretty  proud,  picked  up 


THE   FOURTH   OF  JULY.  159 

the  lantern,  and  marched  on.  Three  or  four 
minutes  later  there  came  a  cry. 

"  Tom  ! " 

"  Holloa." 

"  Tom,  Tom  !  Hurry  up."  There  was  conster 
nation  and  excitement  in  the  tone. 

"  I'm  coming,"  Tom  shouted.  "  Here  you,"  he 
added  to  the  cub ;  and  then  realizing  that  the 
bear  would  not  budge,  he  ended  by  fastening  the 
rope  to  a  bough,  and  plunging  ahead.  Bingo 
was  still  barking,  but  much  less  vigorously. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  Tom  cried,  as  he  came  up, 

Max  was  standing  at  the  edge  of  the  trap,  the 
covering  of  which  had  been  broken  in ;  and 
Bingo  stood  beside  him,  railing  evidently  at 
something  within.  "  There's  another  fellow  in 
there.  And,  Tom,  if  you  had  been  here  just 
before  I  called,  you'd  have  seen  a  bear,  —  a  big 
one,  I  mean,  —  a  monster,"  added  Max,  in  an  awe 
struck  tone. 

"Where?"  asked  Tom  with  no  less  impres- 
siveness. 

"Right  here.  Close  by  the  trap.  He  was  on 
one  side,  and  Bingo  was  barking  at  him  on  the 


160  JACK  IN  THE   BUSH. 

other.  The  moment  he  saw  me  he  got  up  on 
his  hind  legs." 

"Really?" 

"Yes,  and  I  thought  he  was  going  to  run  for 
me ;  but  he  changed  his  mind,  and  got  down 
again,  and  trotted  off  in  that  direction/' 

u  How  do  you  know  it  was  a  bear  ? "  Perhaps 
remembrance  of  the  Newfoundland  pup  prompted 
Tom  to  be  incredulous. 

"  Je  le  savais  bien,"  said  Max  with  earnestness. 
"  He  was  just  like  those  1  have  seen  at 
menageries." 

"  If  only  you  had  had  a  gun  !  " 

Max  glanced  at  the  bare  knife  which  he  still 
held.  "  Would  you  have  gone  for  him,  Tom  ?  " 
he  asked  with  an  anxious  air. 

"  A  stab  with  the  knife  in  a  fatal  spot  would 
have  finished  him,"  Tom  answered  with  prompt 
indirectness.  "  He  might  have  hugged  you, 
though,  or  knocked  you  senseless  with  a  blow 
from  his  paw.  They  often  kill  hunters  in  that 
way,  you  know.  But  if  you  had  happened  to 
nail  him,  it  would  have  given  you  a  walk  over 
for  the  rifle.  I  wonder  where  he  is  now.  He 


THE  FOURTH   OF  JULY.  161 

may  be  close  by  still.  It's  probably  a  female, 
and  the  little  ones  are  her  cubs.  This  fellow's 
a  dandy,"  continued  Tom,  holding  up  the  lantern, 
and  peering  into  the  pit.  In  his  excitement  over 
Max's  experience,  he  had  almost  ignored  the 
second  prize,  but  his  interest  was  re-awakening. 
"•He's  bigger  than  the  other.  Now,  we've  each 
one." 

After  some  further  talk,  the  boys  decided  to 
leave  the  new  captive  where  he  was  for  the 
present,  and  to  rouse  the  rest  of  the  party.  On 
the  way  back,  number  one  was  found  safely 
tethered.  Tom,  having  regained  his  hold  on  the 
cord,  began  his  first  lesson  in  discipline,  and 
dragged  young  Bruin  in  triumph  into  camp.  The 
only  one  stirring  was  Jimmy,  who  looked  up 
from  the  fire  he  was  building  in  astonishment. 

"  O  Jimmy  ! "  cried  Tom,  "  we've  seen  a  bear ; 
that  is,  Max  did.  I  was  just  too  late.  But  he 
may  be  there  still.  You  must  get  a  rifle,  and 
wake  the  Colonel." 

"  Seems  to  me  you  have  him  there,"  said  the 
guide,  as  Tom  paused  in  his  excited  address. 

"  He's  a  cub,  and  we've  another  in    the    trap. 


162  JACK   IN  THE    BUSH. 

Max  thought  he  was  a   Newfoundland  pap,  and 

caught  him  by  falling  on  top  of  him,  after  I  had 
grabbed  him  by  the  tail  and  he  had  got  away. 
He  bit  me,  too,  and  left  the  marks  of  his  teeth. 
But  there's  a  big  one,  —  the  mother,  I  guess. 
Max'll  show  you  the  direction  in  which  she 
went." 

"  What  is  all  this  ? "  cried  a  voice,  and  the 
Colonel's  head  appeared  between  the  flaps  of  his 
tent.  "  Well,  well,"  he  added,  as  he  perceived 
the  cub,  "  you  boys  have  done  a  fine  morning's 
work  already,  I  see.  And  you  say  there's  a  big 
felknv  by  the  trap?  I'll  get  my  gun,  and  we'll 
look  him  up. 

"  I  heard  Bingo  barking,"  said  in  his  deliberate 
fashion  old  William,  who  had  joined  them,  "but 
I  thought  he'd  only  treed  another  woodchuck. 
He's  a  regular  babby.  And  you  caught  him  all 
by  yourselves,  I  want  to  know  !  " 

"Step  this  way,  Samivel,  and  let's  have  a  look 
at  you,"  said  Jimmy,  giving  a  playful  jerk  to  the 
cord. 

A  few  minutes  later,  the  entire  party  was 
assembled;  and,  after  rapturous  inspection  of  the 


THE   FOURTH   OF   JULY.  163 

prize,  all  hands  set  off  to  extricate  the  other 
cub,  and  to  try  to  discover  the  old  bear.  The 
Colonel  and  Mr.  Holt  had  their  rifles,  and  Jimmy 
carried  an  axe  over  his  shoulder.  On  arriving  at 
the  spot,  Jimmy  jumped  down  into  the  pit,  and 
after  a  slight  tussle  succeeded  in  tying  a  cord 
around  the  second  cub's  neck.  The  cub  was 
then  hauled  up,  and  proved  to  be  uninjured  by 
his  fall.  He  looked  a  trifle  larger  than  his 
companion. 

"  Which  do  you  want,  Max  ? "  asked  Tom, 
anxious  to  have  the  question  of  ownership 
decided. 

"  I  don't  care.  I'll  give  }rou  first  choice.  Can 
we  take  them  home?"  he  inquired  doubtfully, 
glancing  at  Mr.  Holt. 

"  You  bet  I'm  going  to  take  mine  home," 
interposed  Tom.  "I've  seen  lots  of  tame  bears. 
I  can  keep  him  in  the  stable  at  our  country- 
place." 

"We'll  see,"  answered  Mr.  Holt  judicially. 

Tom  selected,  as  his  especial  property,  the  cub 
that  had  been  left  at  camp. 

"  Now  tell  us  where  the  old  bear  disappeared," 


164  JACK   IN  THE   BUSH. 

said  the  Colonel,  turning  to  Max.  "  You're  sure 
it  wasn't  a  horse  or  a  cow  ?  " 

This  sally,  suggestive  of  Max's  mistake  regard 
ing  the  pup,  made  every  one  laugh. 

"Never  mind,  Max,"  said  Mr.  Holt.  "The 
Colonel  is  envious,  that's  all." 

"  It's  no  horse  or  cow  that  made  these  marks," 
said  old  William,  calling  attention  to  a  series 
of  footprints  round  about  the  pit. 

The  Colonel  stooped  to  examine  them.  "  Right 
you  are ;  and  you  too,  Max.  He  was  a  big 
fellow.  It's  only  fair,  my  boy,  to  take  you 
along  with  me,  though  it's  not  very  likely  we 
shall  get  a  shot  at  him.  Too  many  cooks  spoil 
the  broth :  so  if  the  rest  of  you  expect  bear-soup 
for  your  Fourth  of  July  dinner,  you  had  better 
go  back  to  camp." 

This  seemed  sensible,  though  disappointing. 
Accordingly,  the  rest  of  the  hunting-party  re 
traced  their  steps,  Mr.  Holt  having  kindly 
resigned  his  gun  to  the  delighted  Max,  who,  it 
must  be  confessed,  handled  it  so  awkwardly  as 
to  amuse  the  others.  However,  it  was  not  to  be 
denied  that  he  had  acquitted  himself  with  credit 


THE   FOURTH   OF   JULY.  165 

in  the  capture  of  the  cub,  and  was,  moreover, 
the  only  one  who  could  boast  of  having  actually 
seen  the  parent  bear,  so  that  he  was  decidedly 
to  be  envied,  even  though  they  were  able  to 
laugh  at  him.  In  the  matter  of  guns,  by  the 
way,  the  Colonel  and  Mr.  Holt  had  decided 
before  leaving  home  that  it  would  scarcely  be 
prudent  to  allow  six  boys  free  use  of  fire-arms ; 
and  thus  the  intention  of  several  of  them,  to 
come  armed  to  the  teeth,  had  been  nipped  in 
the  bud.  Dubsy  and  Tom,  who  already  owned 
shot-guns,  had  been  permitted  to  bring  them ; 
but  an  armory  had  been  straightway  established 
in  one  corner  of  the  Colonel's  tent,  to  which 
they  had  been  consigned.  Pistols  had  been 
entirely  interdicted;  and,  indeed,  the  only  death- 
dealing  weapon  which  the  boys  were  at  liberty 
to  bear  perpetually  about  their  persons  were 
their  sheath-knives.  As  the  chances  of  securing 
many  animals  and  birds  were  small,  these  pre 
cautions  against  shooting  one  another  had  seemed 
advisable.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  Mr.  Holt 
was  in  the  habit  of  granting  leave  to  any  one 
or  two  of  them  to  go  off  in  search  of  game  or 


166  JACK   IX   THE   RUSH. 

to  fire  at  a  mark.  The  result  of  the  expeditions 
had  been,  up  to  this  time,  a  few  woodchucks, 
a  rabbit,  and  an  owl.  The  marksmanship  of  the 
party,  however,  had  been  materially  improved  by 
the  target  practice.  Several  of  them,  noticeably 
Haseltine,  were  able  to  pick  off  bottles  at  a  con 
siderable  distance  with  great  accuracy,  and  conse 
quently  confidence  of  hitting  so  large  a  surface  as 
the  body  of  a  bear  had  been  engendered.  The 
Colonel  had  brought  an  excellent  rifle  and  a 
breach-loading  shot-gun  with  him,  in  addition  to 
the  prize-rifle,  which  was  occasionally  taken  out 
of  its  case  for  general  inspection,  but  was  never 
fired. 

On  the  way  back  to  camp,  after  parting  from 
the  Colonel  and  Max,  Tom  asked  for  suggestions 
as  to  a  name  for  his  cub. 

"  You  might  call  him  '  Fourth  of  July,'  in 
honor  of  the  day,"  suggested  Dubsy. 

"  Or  Roderick  Dhu,"  said  Jack,  who  had  a 
partiality  for  that  hero. 

Mr.  Holt  thought  Castor  and  Pollux  might  be 
appropriate  names  for  the  pair. 

Tom  shook  his  head.     None  of  the  suggestions 


THE   FOURTH    OF   JULY.  167 

satisfied  him.  "  I  guess,"  he  said,  u  that  I'll  call 
him  Dandy.  I  had  a  pony  named  Dandy  once, 
and  he  died." 

This  pathetic  reminiscence  seemed  an  excellent 
excuse  for  the  selection,  if  any  were  needed,  and 
would  have  been  gladly  accepted  by  everybody, 
had  not  old  William  observed  laconically  that 
Tom's  cub  was  a  female.  For  a  moment  the 
owner's  brow  became  clouded ;  then  he  exclaimed 
with  some  vivacity,  — 

"  I'll  raise  cubs  by  her,  then." 

"You  might,"  said  William.  "T'other  one's 
a  mate  for  her." 

"If  Max'll  call  his  Dandy,  I'll  call  mine 
Daisy,"  continued  Tom,  after  a  reflective  pause. 

All  applauded  this  alliterative  choice  as  highly 
appropriate.  They  had  now  reached  camp,  and 
the  question  was  how  to  spend  the  day.  It 
promised  to  be  excessively  hot,  but  Mr.  Holt's 
proposal  that  they  should  go  on  a  picnic  to  the 
St.  John  River,  a  five-mile  tramp  through  the 
woods,  met  with  favor.  Jimmy  was  deputed  as 
guide,  and  old  William  was  left  to  guard  camp. 
It  seemed  inexpedient  to  wait  for  the  Colonel  and 


168  JACK  IN  THE   BUSH. 

Max,  as  they  had  not  returned  when  breakfast 
was  finished;  so,  after  being  ferried  across  the 
river,  they  followed  in  Indian  file  the  narrow  path 
through  the  woods,  which  was  really  very  little 
of  a  path  after  all,  owing  to  the  frequent  wind 
falls,  and  the  encroachment  of  shrubs  and  foliage. 
Before  long  they  came  upon  an  abundance  of 
green  moss,  curious  gnarled  fantastic  roots,  huge 
toad-stools,  and  other  fungus  growths  apt  to  be 
met  with  in  a  forest ;  and,  with  the  morning's 
experience  in  mind,  each  of  the  boys  was  on 
the  alert  for  game.  Mr.  Holt  had  yielded  to  the 
urgent  request  that  Dubsy  be  allowed  to  carry 
his  gun,  merely  remarking  that  the  would-be 
hunter  had  better  walk  first  in  the  file. 

"  Of  course  he  should,"  Jack  said  with  eager 
ness.  "  Otherwise  the  bear  or  the  caribou  might 
escape  before  Dubsy  could  get  a  shot." 

"  Ah,  yes,"  drily  responded  Mr.  Holt ;  "  and 
he  would  not  be  so  likely  to  shoot  any  one 
else  ! " 

After  they  had  gone  about  three  miles,  they 
came  to  a  large  lake.  Just  before  reaching  the 
edge  of  it,  Dubsy,  who  was  still  in  advance, 


THE   FOURTH   OF  JULY.  169 

stopped   short,    in    consequence    of   a   cautioning 
exclamation  from  Jimmy  at  his  heels. 

"  What  is  it  ?  *'  he  whispered,  as  he  squatted  so 
that  the  tall  reeds  almost  hid  him  from  view,  —  a 
proceeding  in  which  he  was  immediately  imitated 
by  the  rest. 

"  Loons,  —  three  of  them.     Right  ahead/' 

By  crawling  on  their  hands  and  knees,  the  boys 
were  enabled  to  get  a  little  nearer,  so  as  to  obtain 
an  excellent  view  of  the  birds  without  exposing 
themselves  to  be  seen. 

"They're  a  stunning  shot,  aren't  they?''  said 
Jack. 

"  How  perky  they  look  ! "  said  Mr.  Holt. 

This  was  an  excellent  description  of  the  loons' 
demeanor.  Unconscious  of  danger,  they  sat  com 
fortably  on  the  tranquil  water,  proudly  arching 
their  long  necks,  or  now  and  again  protruding 
them  with  sudden  energy  to  snap  at  insects  on 
the  surface. 

Dubsy  got  his  gun  ready,  and,  recalling  the 
Colonel's  remarks  as  to  being  too  grasping  a 
sportsman,  said  tremulously,  but  with  some  dis 
content  in  his  tone, — 


170  JACK    IN   TUP:    BUSH. 

"  I'd  better  wait  for  them  to  fly,  I  suppose." 

"If  they  will,"1  responded  Mr.  Holt  "They're 
hard  birds,  though,  to  hit  sitting,  for  they  dive  at 
the  flash." 

The  loons  were  about  one  hundred  yards  off. 
They  kept  swimming  slowly  and  without  obvious 
purpose,  bat  their  general  drift  was  rather  away 
from  shore.  To  Jimmy,  who  was  accustomed  to 
bag  game  in  the  most  convenient  manner,  it 
seemed  an  unnecessary  refinement  not  to  fire 
at  once ;  but  Mr.  Holt  preferred  to  let  the  seed  of 
the  Colonel's  criticisms  bear  fruit. 

"They're  a  drake  and  two  hens,"  said  Jimmy. 
"There's  one  way  to  start  'em,"  he  remarked  a 
moment  later,  as  they  took  a  decided  slant  in  the 
opposite  direction,  "and  that  is  to  heave  a  rock 
among  'em.  It  may  make  'em  dive  instead ;  if  so, 
there's  an  old  scow  yonder  on  the  spit  that  we 
can  follow  'em  in.  Be  ready  to  blaze  away  the 
moment  I  let  drive,"  Jimmy  added,  picking  up 
a  large  stone  and  poising  it  above  his  shoulder. 

The  loons  were  now  moving  more  rapidly,  and 
keeping  to  the  right,  but  parallel  with  the  shore, 
which  curved  outwards  on  either  side  of  where 


THE   FOURTH   OF  JULY.  171 

the  party  lay  in  ambush.  To  the  left  of  the  little 
bay  thus  formed,  a  strip  of  land  well  covered  with 
underbrush,  in  the  midst  of  which  towered  up  a 
single  large,  overhanging  tree,  ran  out  into  the 
water.  This  was  the  spit  referred  to  by  Jimmy, 
and  the  boys  could  plainly  perceive  one  end  of 
the  scow  protruding  from  the  tall  grass  at  the 
water's  edge. 

Jimmy  threw  back  his  arm,  and  hurled  the 
stone  forward.  There  was  a  vigorous  splash, 
followed  by  a  momentary  flapping  of  wings,  and 
then  a  loud  report.  This  was  almost  immediately 
succeeded  by  another  report,  which  proceeded 
from  the  spit  of  land.  As  the  smoke  cleared 
away,  two  of  the  loons  were  to  be  seen  flying  at 
full  speed  across  the  lake,  but  where  was  the 
third? 

"  One's  down,"  cried  Jack. 

"  There  he  is,  there  he  is,"  added  Tom,  pointing 
to  a  black  object  floating  on  the  water. 

"  Yes,  hurrah ! "  cried  Dubsy,  as  he  recovered  his 
balance,  which  had  been  slightly  disarranged. 

But  Mr.  Holt  and  Jimmy,  apparently  uninter 
ested  in  the  result  of  Dubsy's  shot,  were  staring 


172  JACK  IX   THE   BUSH. 

blankly  toward  the  spit  of  land  over  which  the 
smoke  of  the  second  discharge  still  floated. 

"It's  that  snake  -  in  -  the  -  grass  Pete,  I'll  be 
bound,"  said  Jimmy. 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  "  asked  Jack. 

"Didn't  you  hear  the  other  shot?"  said  Mr. 
Holt. 

It  was  the  boys'  turn  to  stare  blankly  now.  So 
absorbed  had  they  been  in  Dubsy's  performance, 
they  had  not  noticed  it.  All  eyes  were  now 
directed  toward  the  half-breed,  who,  in  confirma 
tion  of  Jimmy's  words,  rose  at  that  moment  from 
the  tall  grass  in  which  he  had  been  lying,  and 
began  to  shove  the  flat-bottomed  scow  into  'the 
water. 

"  The  black  -  hearted  scoundrel  !  "  ejaculated 
Jimmy,  divining  at  once  the  Indian's  purpose. 
"  He's  after  that  bird." 

"  But  it's  mine,"  cried  Dubsy.  "  I  shot  it, 
didn't  I,  Jimmy  ?  " 

"  Shot  it  ?  Of  course,  you  shot  it.  I  saw  it  fall 
with  my  own  eyes.  Say  you  there,  Pete,"  he 
shouted,  stepping  forward  so  as  to  show  himself, 
"  that's  our  bird." 


THE  FOURTH   OF   JULY.  173 

Pete  looked  up,  and  shook  his  head.  He  was 
in  the  boat,  which  was  headed  in  the  direction  of 
the  floating  loon. 

"  Are  you  sure  that  Dubsy  shot  it  ?  "  asked  Mr. 
Holt. 

"Not  a  doubt  of  it.  The  skunk  didn't  fire 
until  after  the  bird  had  dropped,"  exclaimed  the 
guide  in  high  dudgeon.  "  Here,"  he  continued, 
turning  to  Dubsy,  "  give  me  that  gun,  and  I'll 
drop  him  if  he  touches  a  feather." 

"No,  no,"  interposed  Mr.  Holt,  "that  won't  do, 
Jimmy.  It's  our  bird,  I  tell  you,"  he  shouted,  in 
his  turn,  to  Pete.  "  One  of  these  boys  killed  it." 

Again  the  half-breed  shook  his  head.  He  was 
plainly  steering  straight  for  the  bird,  which  was 
drifting  away  from  him,  and  toward  the  shore. 
The  boys  were  speechless  with  consternation  and 
excitement. 

"If  I  could  only  swim,"  cried  Jimmy,  shaking 
his  fist  as  spoke,  "  I'd  pull  you  out  of  your  boat, 
and  duck  you  in  the  lake,  Pete  Labouisse." 

"  I  can  swim,"  exclaimed  Jack. 

"  Swimming  is  a  happy  thought,"  said  Mr.  Holt 
suddenly ;  arid,  as  he  spoke,  he  stripped  off  his 


174  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

coat,  and  began  to  free  himself  from  his  other 
garments.  You  are  sure,  Jimmy,  that  the  loon  is 
ours?" 

"  May  I  never  draw  another  breath  if  it  isn't !  " 

"  Oh,  what  are  you  going  to  do  ?  "  cried  several 
of  the  boys. 

"Try  to  get  there  first.  Perhaps  it  would  be 
more  sensible  to  let  Pete  have  the  bird,  but  it's  a 
little  too  galling  to  see  one's  property  carried  off 
under  one's  very  nose  without  an  effort  to  save 
it." 

By  this  time  Mr.  Holt  was  naked,  and  without 
delay  he  plunged  into  the  water.  The  distance 
from  the  spit  to  the  dead  bird  was  some  four 
hundred  yards,  of  which  the  enemy  had  traversed 
about  half.  Mr.  Holt  had  one  hundred  yards  to 
swim. 

"  Go  for  him,"  cried  Jimmy,  who  had  an  idea 
perhaps  that  the  master  purposed  to  carry  out  the 
programme  that  he  had  suggested. 

Jack  had  stripped  off  his  coat  too,  but  a  decided 
" one's  enough"  from  Mr.  Holt  had  suspended 
further  proceedings  on  his  part.  On  went  the 
swimmer,  launching  forward,  hand  over  hand;  and 


THE   FOURTH   OF  JULY.  175 

simultaneously  Pete,  who  had  been  taking  matters 
easily,  bent  to  his  paddle. 

Mr.  Holt  was  a  strong  swimmer,  but  he  had 
underestimated  the  swiftness  with  which  his  an 
tagonist  could  propel  even  so  clumsy  a  bark  as 
the  old  scow.  For  a  moment  the  struggle  seemed 
from  the  shore  tolerably  even ;  but  just  as  Mr. 
Holt  was  reaching  out  for  the  prize,  the  boat  shot 
in  between  him  and  it,  and  his  competitor,  stoop 
ing  quickly  as  he  passed,  snatched  the  dead  loon 
out  of  water.  For  a  moment  Mr.  Holt  felt 
inclined  to  dispute  the  possession  of  the  bird  by 
seizing  the  nose  of  the  scow,  and  if  needs  be 
upsetting  her.  But  the  victor,  expecting  perhaps 
some  such  manoeuvre,  sent  his  craft  flying  for 
wards  by  a  series  of  deft  strokes,  then  put  her  head 
to  the  shore,  and  the  moment  after  she  had  touched 
the  beach,  picked  up  his  gun,  and  disappeared  in 
the  thicket ;  turning  his  head  at  the  last  moment 
to  utter  a  guttural  note  of  triumph,  and  waving 
his  dripping  trophy  above  his  head. 

"  I'd  have  sent  a  shot  after  him,  if  I'd  been 
allowed,"  growled  Jimmy,  as  he  realized  that 
Pete  had  won  the  day  ;  though,  as  the  gun  was 


176  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

still  unloaded,  it  may  be  doubted  whether  this 
bloodthirsty  avowal  was  entirely  sincere. 

There  was  nothing  for  Mr.  Holt  to  do,  under 
the  circumstances,  but  to  swim  back  after  the 
manner  of  the  sometime  king  of  France,  who 
marched  up  the  hill  and  then  marched  down 
again.  Although  worsted,  he  was  feeling  pleased 
on  the  whole  that  the  affair  had  ended  without 
a  fray.  A  tussle  in  the  water  with  a  red  man 
of  the  forest  would  scarcely  have  been  consistent 
with  his  position  as  an  instructor  of  youth,  how 
ever  satisfactory  from  the  standpoint  of  adven 
ture.  Needless  to  say,  his  pupils  were  sorely 
disappointed,  not  only  at  the  loss  of  the  loon, 
which  seemed  to  Dubsy  serious,  but  at  the 
humiliating  termination  of  what  had  promised  to 
be  a  thrilling  encounter. 

"  Oh,  why  didn't  you  upset  him  ? "  exclaimed 
Jack,  expressing  the  common  sentiment  of  the 
five. 

"  He  was  too  quick  for  me,  Jack.  You  saw  me 
make  one  grab  for  him,  but  it  was  no  use.  It  is 
much  better  as  it  is,  though.  Supposing  I  had 
grappled  with  him,  the  dispute  might  have  become 


THE   FOURTH   OF  JULY.  177 

very  serious,  involving  great  injury  to  one  or 
both  of  us  And  for  what?  Merely  the  posses 
sion  of  a  dead  duck,  —  which,  after  all,  Pete 
may  really  suppose  he  shot.  You  see,  if  one 
thinks  of  it  coolly,  —  and  I  am  certainly  able 
to  now,'"  he  said,  as  he  wrung  the  water 
from  his  fingers,  "though  I  admit  that  the 
bath  was  refreshing,  —  there  was  certainly  not 
much  worth  fighting  for-  I  was  led  away,  as 
we  are  all  apt  to  be,  by  the  indignation  of  the 
moment." 

"  But  the  principle  was  the  same,"  said  Jack 
with  a  martial  air. 

"  Yes.  I  suppose  that  is  so,"  replied  Mr.  Holt, 
smiling.  "  We  may  fairly  submit,  however,  with 
out  serious  loss  of  dignity,  it  seems  to  me,  to  have 
one's  rights  trampled  on  to  such  a  limited  extent. 
I'm  aware  that  it  is  the  Fourth  of  July,  and 
that  all  of  us  except  Jimmy  are  free-born 
Americans ;  and  yet,  notwithstanding,  I  do  not 
feel  disappointed  that  I  did  not  get  my  fingers 
on  Pete." 

The  boys  found  difficulty  in  accepting  this 
rational  view  of  the  matter,  and  they  had  a  firm 


178  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

abettor  in  Jimmy,  whose  muttered  denunciation 
of  the  half-breed  boded  ill  for  the  future  welfare 
of  that  worthy.  Mr.  Holt  having  dressed  him 
self,  the  line  of  inarch  was  taken  up  again. 
The  heat  had  increased  materially,  and  though 
the  foliage  protected  them  from  the  glare  of  the 
sun,  the  air  was  dense  and  oppressive. 

"  It  wouldn't  surprise  me  if  we  got  a  thunder- 
shower  before  night,"  said  Jimmy,  squinting  at 
the  sky. 

On  reaching  the  camp  at  the  St.  John,  where 
there  was  a  cabin  similar  to  their  own,  every  one 
was  ready  for  lunch,  which  was  devoured  with 
avidity.  After  this,  Mr.  Holt,  who  had  brought 
his  rod,  set  out  to  try  such  of  the  nearest  pools 
as  could  be  fished  from  the  shore.  The  boys 
expressed  delight  at  the  transparence  of  the 
water,  which,  unlike  that  of  the  York,  was  in 
many  places  clear  as  crystal,  and  of  an  apparent 
greenish  hue,  induced  by  the  color  of  the  stone 
bottom.  But,  though  there  were  fish  to  be  seen, 
not  even  a  trout  would  rise.  Jimmy  declared 
that  it  was  useless  to  cast  during  such  heat. 
The  salmon  seemed  scarcely  to  notice  the  fly 


THE   FOURTH   OF   JULY.  179 

as  it  sailed  down  over  their  noses.  By  climbing 
a  tree  overhanging  one  of  the  pools,  a  bevy  of 
them  were  to  be  seen  resting  in  small  detach 
ments  a  few  inches  from  the  bottom,  wagging 
their  tails  indolently.  Once  in  a  while,  a  fellow 
would  cock  one  eye  up,  as  though  slightly 
interested ;  and  there  was  a  solitary  fish  at  the 
farthest  end  of  the  pool,  who,  after  taking  notice 
in  this  manner  a  number  of  times,  displayed 
curiosity  so  far  as  to  swim  half-way  to  the 
surface.  But  he  either  became  disenchanted,  or 
the  exertion  proved  too  burdensome ;  for  he 
languidly  turned  tail,  and  whisked  back  to  his 
former  station,  from  which  nothing  was  able 
thereafter  to  allure  him.  Mr.  Holt  became  con 
vinced  at  last  that  he  might  as  well  be  casting 
over  empty  pools,  and  took  apart  his  rod. 

"  There'll  be  great  fishing  after  we  get  a 
shower  to  freshen  up  the  pool  a  bit,"  said 
Jimmy. 

As  this  could  prove  advantageous  only  to  the 
anglers  to  whom  St.  John  belonged,  and  who 
were  expected  to  arrive  on  the  morrow,  the  boys 
were  but  little  cheered  by  the  announcement. 


180  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

As  it  seemed  more  sensible  to  wait  until  the  sun 
was  lower  in  the  heavens  before  retracing  their 
steps,  a  spot  as  shady  as  possible  was  selected  as 
a  shelter.  Here  both  Mr.  Holt  and  Jimmy, 
with  a  view  to  comfort,  stretched  themselves  out, 
and  speedily  fell  asleep.  But  to  the  junior  por 
tion  of  the  party,  the  idea  of  slumber  in  the 
daytime,  and  especially  on  the  Fourth  of  July, 
seemed  an  impious  waste  of  time.  To  tell  the 
truth,  they  felt  rather  restless.  What  with 
the  associations  awakened  by  the  day,  and  the 
adventure  with  the  loon,  their  faculties  were  on 
the  alert,  so  to  speak.  There  was  a  certain  reflec 
tive  gravity  in  their  individual  expressions  as 
they  sat  around,  which  would  have  put  one 
accustomed  to  observe  youthful  physiognomy  on 
his  guard. 

"  Of  course  they  don't  think  much  of  the 
Fourth  of  July  here,"  said  Jack,  breaking  a 
spell  of  silence,  jerking,  as  he  spoke,  a  pebble 
into  the  water. 

"  Jimmy  didn't  know  anything  about  it.  He'd 
never  heard  of  the  day,"  observed  Haseltine. 

"  I  believe,  though,  that  an  American  ought  to 


THE   FOURTH   OF  JULY.  181 

celebrate  it  just  the  same  when  he's  away  from 
home,  don't  you  ?  "  continued  Jack.  "  Patriotism 
oughtn't  to  depend  merely  on  where  you  happen 
to  be." 

"  That's  so,"  said  Dubsy  emphatically. 

"  But  what  can  a  fellow  do  ?  "  inquired  Tom, 
giving  a  less  impersonal  turn  to  the  conversa 
tion.  "  We  haven't  got  fire-crackers  or  rockets 
or  a  tar-barrel,  and  the  only  powder  we  have  is 
in  Dubsy's  cartridges.  It's  a  poor  lookout,  so 
far  as  I  can  see." 

"  There's  one  thing  we  might  do,"  said  Jack. 
"It  wouldn't  amount  to  much,  but  it  would  be 
better'n  nothing." 

"  What  s  that  ?  "  asked  several  together. 

"Build  a  bonfire.  What  would  be  the  harm?" 
he  added,  to  disarm  criticism. 

"None  that  I  know  of,"  said  Hasy,  casting 
a  glance  at  the  sleepers.  "  There's  an  axe  up 
at  the  camp:  so  it  wouldn't  take  long  to  get 
enough  old  stumps  together  to  start  her  with." 

"Let's  have  a  big  one  while  we're  about  it," 
said  Jack,  rising  to  lead  the  way  up  to  the  cabin, 
a  few  hundred  yards  distant.  Confident  as  they 


182  JACK  IN  THE  BUSH. 

professed  to  be  that  there  could  be  no  objection 
to  the  plan,  there  was  no  unnecessary  noise  made  in 
taking  their  departure.  In  fact,  an  unprejudiced 
observer  might  have  said  that  they  slipped  away. 

There  was  plenty  of  good  material  at  hand, 
—  dried  underbrush,  and  decayed  trunks  that 
yielded  to  the  first  strokes  of  the  axe  ;  and  in  a 
few  minutes  they  had  erected  an  impressive  pile. 

"Seems  to  me  I  smell  smoke  already,"  said 
Haseltine,  sniffing  the  air,  as  a  lighted  match 
was  being  applied  by  the  patriot  Jack. 

But  his  remark  failed  to  interest  the  group, 
whose  entire  interest  was  centered,  for  the  time 
being,  on  the  bonfire,  which  speedily  became 
splendid  with  crackling  flames.  Five  diligent 
boys,  with  a  forest  at  their  back,  were  surely 
qualified  to  produce  a  grand  conflagration.  They 
had,  however,  pitched  it  in  a  comparatively  clear 
spot,  so  as  to  confine  it  within  moderate  bounds. 
They  could  certainly  boast  of  a  success ;  and, 
as  they  stood  watching  the  blaze,  the  only  draw 
back  seemed  to  them  to  be  a  lack  of  spectators. 
Mr.  Holt  and  Jimmy  were  too  sound  sleepers. 
Why  did  they  not  wake  up?  And  yet  no  one 


THE   FOURTH   OF  JULY.  183 

of  the  boys  saw  fit  to  rouse  them.  Assuredly 
either  would  be  glad  to  forego  the  remainder  of 
his  nap  to  behold  such  a  splendid  sight.  Why 
did  no  one  see  fit  to  give  them  the  opportunity  ? 
They  could  not  possibly  object;  at  any  rate,  it 
would  be  useless  to  do  so  now.  Besides,  they 
would  have  to  know  sooner  or  later  what  had 
been  going  on.  This  seemed  indisputable  reason 
ing,  and  yet  no  one  stirred.  Could  it  be,  that, 
though  the  boys  had  selected  the  safest  spot  for 
their  bonfire,  there  was  a  secret  hope  in  the 
hearts  of  each  of  them  that  it  might  spread,  in 
spite  of  their  most  strenuous  efforts,  so  as  to 
include  at  least  a  copse  or  two  of  trees,  or  an 
acre  of  underbrush  ?  If  this  were  the  case,  each 
of  the  conspirators,  nevertheless,  conscientiously 
stamped  out  each  indication  of  extending  which 
the  stealthy  element  displayed  by  creeping  along 
the  grass.  If  they  were  buoyed  by  any  such 
hope,  each  kept  it  to  himself,  and  gave  no  sign. 
Still  they  were  preter naturally  grave. 

In  the  glade  below,  one  of  the  sleepers  stirred 
at  last  and  woke,  —  woke,  and,  sniffing  the  air 
suspiciously,  sprang  to  his  feet.  It  was  Jimmy. 


184  JACK  IN   THE   BUSH. 

"  The  woods  are  on  fire ! "  he  ejaculated ;  then,  as 
he  caught  sight  of  the  column  of  smoke  ascending 
from  the  bonfire,  added,  "  Humph !  It's  them  boys." 

His  exclamations  served  to  awaken  Mr.  Holt, 
who,  rousing  himself,  inquired  sleepily,  "  What's 
that  you  are  saying,  Jimmy?" 

"They've  made  a  big  fire  up  to  the  camp. 
Pesky  dangerous  this  time  of  year,  when  every 
thing's  so  dry,"  answered  the  guide,  looking  back 
over  his  shoulder. 

The  master  followed.  Although  the  blaze  was 
prodigious,  there  were  no  serious  indications  of 
it's  spreading;  and  Jimmy  had  to  content  himself 
with  grumbling  a  little,  and  keeping  a  watchful 
eye  on  the  grass.  It  was  certainly  a  fine  sight, 
and  the  satisfaction  of  the  boys  was  now  tolerably 
complete.  Any  hope  they  might  have  entertained 
that  the  woods  would  catch  had  been  too  remote 
to  mar  their  serenity. 

"  Pesky  dangerous,  though,"  muttered  Jimmy 
from  time  to  time.  And  Mr.  Holt,  in  more  spe 
cific  language,  called  attention  to  the  risks  of 
building  so  huge  a  fire  in  the  present  parched 
condition  of  the  underbrush. 


THE   FOURTH   OF  JULY.  185 

"  We  were  very  careful,"  answered  Jack  ;  "  and 
it  didn't  seem  right  that  the  Fourth  should  pass 
without  some  sort  of  celebration." 

A  good  half-hour  elapsed  before  the  fire  ex 
hausted  itself  after  they  had  ceased  to  heap  on 
fuel.  Jimmy  declared  that  he  wished  to  see  the 
embers  quenched  before  setting  out  for  home: 
otherwise,  a  wind  might  arise  and  scatter  them. 
The  effect  of  the  conflagration  had  naturally  been 
to  make  them  all  even  hotter  than  before,  which 
was  saying  a  great  deal,  and,  moreover,  the  air 
seemed  to  be  impregnated  with  the  aroma  of  burnt 
logs.  This  odor  did  not  diminish  after  they  had 
begun  to  retrace  their  steps,  which  evidently 
struck  Jimmy  as  strange  ;  for  when  they  had  pro 
ceeded  half  a  mile,  and  it  was  still  noticeable,  he 
snuffed  the  air  two  or  three  times  vigorously. 

"Why  do  you  snort  like  that?"  asked  Hasy, 
who  was  next  behind. 

"I  don't  understand  it,"  said  the  guide,  with 
out  paying  heed  to  the  question.  "  Whatever 
wind  there  is,  is  dead  ahead.  I  should  say  from 
the  smell  there  was  a  fire  burning  here  some 
where." 


186  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

"Perhaps  it's  Pete  cooking  his  dinner,"  said 
Dubsy. 

"Pete's  up  to  no  good,  whatever  he's  doing, 
you  may  be  sure  of  that,"  Jimmy  replied,  by  way 
of  answer. 

On  they  went  in  silence  for  about  a  mile,  while 
the  smell  of  burning  wood  grew  more  and  more 
distinct.  There  seemed  to  be  a  sort  of  haze  in 
the  atmosphere.  Jimmy  sniffed  no  more ;  but  he 
kept  inciting  Dubsy,  by  keeping  close  at  his  heels, 
to  travel  at  a  lively  pace. 

"  Here,  you'd  better  let  me  take  that  gun.  It's 
too  heavy,"  exclaimed  the  guide  at  length,  reach 
ing  out  and  seizing  the  barrel. 

"  No,  no  ;  I'll  take  it.     I'm  not  tired." 

"  Step  along,  then.     Don't  waste  time  talking." 

"  What's  your  hurry,  Jimmy  ?  " 

"You  won't  have  much  chance  to  talk  about 
hurrying,  if  the  fire  catches  us." 

"The  fire?" 

"  Yes ;  the  woods  are  on  fire." 

As  he  spoke,  Jimmy  stopped,  and  waiting  for 
Mr.  Holt  to  come  up  repeated  the  announce 
ment. 


THE   FOURTH   OF  JULY.  187 

"  The  woods  are  on  fire  ahead." 

"  Ahead?" 

"Yes;  and  it's  my  belief  that  Pete  Labouisse 
could  tell  who  set  'em.  There's  no  time  to  be 
lost  if  we  expect  to  get  to  the  river.  This  is  no 
place  for  a  lame  man." 

"  Moses  !  "  ejaculated  Hasy,  as  an  outlet  for  his 
emotion. 

Mr.  Holt  looked  grave.  "If  the  fire  is  across 
the  path,  there'll  be  no  use  trying.  We'd  better 
turn  back." 

"  It's  six  of  one  and  half  a  dozen  of  t'other, 
according  to  my  figuring,  whether  we  turn  back 
or  keep  on,"  answered  Jimmy.  "The  smoke 
seems  to  be  coming  from  there,"  he  said,  pointing 
at  an  angle  about  half-way  between  the  path 
ahead  and  the  extreme  right ;  "  and  with  the  wind 
in  our  faces  it's  sure  to  gain  on  us  if  we  turn,  and 
we  may  get  round  it  by  keeping  on.  It's  the 
same  distance  either  way." 

His  speaking  of  smoke  caused  them  to  look  up. 
Above  the  tree-tops  the  murky  haze  was  more 
perceptible,  and  made  the  sky  look  dingy.  There 
was  no  time  for  indecision. 


188  JACK   IN   THE  BUSH. 

"Whatever  you  say,  Jimmy.  You  know  best. 
Remember,  though,  these  boys  are  under  my  care." 

"Keep  on,  then.  But  you  must  run  for  all 
you're  worth,"  the  guide  said,  sweeping  his  glance 
around  the  youthful  group.  "  I'll  lead  the  way." 

Instinctively  the  boys  girded  their  loins  by 
tightening  their  belt-straps,  and  as  Jimmy  darted 
off  with  the  gun  over  his  shoulder,  which  Dubsy 
had  given  up  in  response  to  a  second  demand  for 
it,  followed  as  best  they  could  in  single  file  the 
swinging  pace  set  by  the  leader.  Mr.  Holt 
brought  up  the  rear.  The  heat  was  forgotten, 
oppressive  as  it  was.  Now  the  chief  concern  was 
to  clear  at  a  bound  fallen  trees,  and  to  guard  one's 
footing  against  the  roots  and  other  impediments 
in  the  path.  There  were  about  two  miles  between 
them  and  the  river. 

Presently  a  sudden  breeze  fanned  the  foliage, 
bringing  a  denser  quality  of  smoke  into  their 
faces.  The  tree-tops  swayed,  and  Jimmy,  turning, 
exclaimed,  — 

"  The  wind's  rising  and  shifting  in  our  favor !  " 

A  few  minutes  later  this  became  obvious ; 
although  still  in  front  of  them  the  draught  was 


THE   FOURTH    OF   JULY.  189 

blowing  now  more  from  the  left  of  the  path,  tend 
ing  to  keep  back  the  conflagration  which  was  on 
the  right-hand  side.  Almost  a  gale  seemed  to 
have  taken  the  place  of  the  sultry  calm.  The 
odor  of  the  burning  forest  had  become  pungent 
and  rasped  the  throat.  Then,  as  they  reached  a 
portion  of  the  path  where  the  growth  was  but 
moderately  thick,  a  blaze  met  their  view  in  the 
near  distance.  A  wall  of  fire,  the  crackle  and 
roar  of  which  startled  them  into  renewed  energy, 
rose  like  a  huge  wave  threatening  to  ingulf  them. 
Simultaneously,  the  cries  of  animals  and  birds 
were  audible.  Three  caribou,  a  doe,  and  two 
fawns,  lashed  by  fear,  plunged  madly  across  the 
path  between  Jack  and  Hasy,  causing  them  to 
utter  expressions  of  bewildered  regret  at  the 
loss  of  such  an  opportunity,  which  even  the 
seriousness  of  the  situation  could  not  check. 

On  the  party  tore,  individual  members  now 
and  again  pitching  headlong  or  rolling  over,  but 
righted  as  often  as  needs  be  by  the  rear  guard, 
who  well  might  feel  anxious  at  so  perilous  an 
experience.  Nearer  and  nearer  the  wave  of  flame 
was  creeping,  so  near  that  the  tossing  branches 


190  JACK  IN   THE   BUSH. 

seemed  to  be  fiery  arms  stretching  out  to  snatch 
at  them.  They  could  feel  its  heat,  and  the  smoke 
choked  them.  At  last  Jimmy  gave  a  warning  cry, 
and  turned  sharply  from  the  left  out  of  the  path. 
Those  behind  perceived  that  a  large  tree  bordering 
it  was  already  in  flames.  The  path  was  no  longer 
free,  and  they  had  now  to  plunge  along,  fighting 
their  way  through  brake  and  bramble.  The 
master  held  Joe's  hand.  The  little  fellow's 
plumpness  made  so  long  a  run  exhausting.  The 
others  dashed  ahead  as  best  they  could. 

"  Only  a  little  farther,"  shouted  Jimmy.  "  We 
shall  soon  be  there." 

"  Run,  boys,  run,"  Mr.  Holt  cried,  spurring  them 
on  from  behind. 

The  whole  forest  seemed  alive  with  the  jabber 
and  screams  of  the  frightened  denizens. 

"  Hear  the  bears  howl,"  said  Jack  to  Tom,  as 
they  forged  along  abreast. 

"  It's  awful,"  was  the  answer,  expressing  the 
young  trapper's  sense  of  the  whole  situation. 

Just  then  Jimmy  shouted  at  the  top  of  his 
lungs,  — 

"  Holloa-a-a !     Holloa-a-a ! " 


THERK  SEEMED  TO  BE  A  RING  OF  FIKE  AROUND  THEM.— P.  193. 


THE   FOURTH   OF   JULY.  193 

Almost  immediately  there  came  a  similar  cry 
in  response,  which  seemed  to  proceed  from  close 
at  hand. 

"  Thank  God  !  "  ejaculated  Mr.  Holt. 

"  It's  the  Colonel,"  said  Jack. 

Again  Jimmy  darted  aside.  The  underbrush 
beneath  his  feet  was  crackling,  and  dense  black 
smoke  was  pouring  around  him. 

"  Keep  together,"  he  shouted  excitedly.  "  Hol- 
loa-a-a ! " 

"  Holloa-a-a  !  "  came  the  answer  back. 

They  were  close  to  the  river  now.  That  was 
certain. 

"  Oh,  oh !  "  ejaculated  Hasy  and  Jack  at  the 
same  moment,  as  a  fringe  of  fire  fell  down  upon 
them  from  a  blazing  birch.  But,  though  scorched, 
they  managed  to  shake  off  the  brands. 

"  My  feet,"  cried  Joe,  hopping  in  pain. 

"  Steady,  my  boy.  Be  brave  a  moment  more," 
said  Mr.  Holt. 

There  seemed  to  be  a  ring  of  fire  around  them. 
Jack  seeing  Dubsy  pitch  headlong  at  this  moment 
believed  their  last  hour  had  come.  Then  followed 
a  vigorous  shout.  He  saw  his  friend  lifted  up 


194  JACK   IN   THE    BUSH. 

and  dragged  forward,  and  felt  himself  grasped  by 
strong  arms.  That  was  all  he  knew  until  he 
opened  his  eyes  and  became  aware  that  he  was  in 
a  canoe.  Before  him  sat  Colonel  Russell,  black  as 
an  Indian  with  smoke,  and  minus  some  of  his  beard 
and  his  eye-brows,  paddling.  Beyond,  as  far  as  he 
could  see,  the  woods  were  buried  in  smoke  and 
flame. 

The  Colonel  nodded  encouragingly. 

"Where's  Dubsy?"  asked  Jack,  half  raising 
himself. 

"Sit  still.  He's  safe.  You're  all  safe.  But  it 
was  a  terribly  close  call." 

Jack  shut  his  eyes  again,  and  sank  back 
exhausted.  His  throat  felt  like  molten  lead,  arid 
his  eyes  parched.  Beside  him,  in  a  similar  condi 
tion,  lay  Tom  and  Joe.  Jimmy  was  in  the  bow, 
still  grasping  Dubsy's  gun  with  hands  from  which 
the  skin  was  off  in  many  places.  Old  William 
was  convoying  the  rest  of  the  party ;  and  in  a  few 
moments  they  were  all  reassembled  on  their  own 
side  of  the  river,  none  the  worse  for  their  hazard 
ous  experience  beyond  a  few  burns,  painful,  but 
not  important. 


THE   FOURTH   OF   JULY.  195 

The  spectacle  they  now  beheld  was  most  im 
pressive.  The  dusk  was  coming  on  apace,  and  the 
whole  forest,  so  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  was 
wrapped  in  a  blaze  of  glory,  lighting  up  the  sky 
and  hills  obscured  by  the  approach  of  night.  The 
carnival  of  creature  sounds  had  increased,  and. 
the  cries  of  fright  and  dismay  were  answered  by 
sympathizing  notes  from  across  the  river. 

"  You  never  saw  such  fireworks  as  that,  boys," 
said  the  Colonel.  "  It  beats  any  Fourth  of  July 
show  that  any  of  us  will  ever  see." 

"  I'm  glad  we  didn't  set  it,  though,"  said  Jack  a 
moment  after,  reflecting  doubtless  on  what  might 
have  been. 

"And  if  it  ain't  murder  that  Pete  ought  to  be 
tried  for,  it's  something  mighty  close  to  it," 
observed  Jimmy. 

"  There's  no  evidence  that  Pete  set  the  fire," 
answered  the  Colonel. 

"  I  guess  he  done  it  all  the  same,"  said  old 
William  slowly. 

There  was  not  enough  confidence  in  any  one's 
mind  that  the  half-breed  had  not  been  concerned 
in  the  matter  to  induce  further  opposition  to  the 


196  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

view  taken  by  the  guides.  The  Colonel  contented 
himself  by  remarking  that  it  was  riot  wise  to  jump 
at  conclusions  without  sufficient  data,  and  then 
called  attention  to  the  heavy  cloud  overhead 
rapidly  overspreading  the  illumined  sky. 

"  A  thunder-storm,"  said  Jimmy. 

Just  then  a  streak  of  lightning  ran  zigzag 
through  its  midst,  followed  after  an  interval  by  a 
deafening  peal,  that  rumbled  among  the  hills,  and 
came  echoing  back.  At  the  sound,  the  energies 
of  the  beasts  and  birds,  which  had  become  more 
quiescent,  burst  forth  in  redoubled  volume.  Even 
Dandy  and  Daisy  lifted  their  voices  in  unison  with 
the  universal  wail. 

The  huge  black  cloud  as  it  advanced  grew 
molten  with  the  vivid  reflection  of  the  sea  of 
flame  beneath.  Twice  and  thrice  the  thunder 
bolts  leaped  from  it,  as  though  eager  to  unite  with 
their  kin,  and  the  earth  trembled  with  the  uproar. 
Then  came  the  rain  ;  at  first  in  large  single  drops, 
then  fast  and  faster,  until  it  poured  a  deluge. 

"  That's  the  talk,"  said  old  William  with  satis 
faction.  "  The  woods  won't  burn  long  if  that 
keeps  up." 


THE   FOURTH   OF   JULY.  197 

His  words  were  cut  short  by  a  flash  and  a 
tremendous  clap  that  made  the  boys  fairly  jump. 
It  seemed  as  though  the  bolt  must  have  struck 
within  a  few  yards  of  the  shanty,  so  soon  did  the 
report  follow  the  lightning.  After  it  came  wind  in 
violent  gusts,  and  floods  of  water.  The  cabin  was 
the  only  shelter ;  for,  though  the  tents  might  be 
waterproof,  there  was  no  certainty  that  they  would 
not  be  blown  down  by  the  fast  rising  tornado. 
For  hours  the  rain  fell  in  torrents,  and  the  thunder 
crashed  about  their  ears.  Through  the  window 
they  could  see  the  glow  of  the  fiercely  burning 
conflagration  gradually  fade  in  intensity,  until  at 
last  at  midnight,  when  the  storm  had  moderated, 
there  was  only  a  faint  glimmer  in  the  sky.  A 
gentle  drizzle  was  still  falling,  which  promised 
to  quench  the  last  flicker  before  morning.  On 
inspection  prior  to  turning  in,  a  tree  about  a 
hundred  yards  from  camp  was  found  to  have  been 
struck  and  splintered  by  lightning,  and  the  tent 
occupied  by  Max  and  Tom  had  been  overturned 
by  the  wind.  Altogether  it  had  been  a  day  of 
adventure,  and  as  much  out  of  the  ordinary  run 
of  days  as  a  Fourth  of  July  at  home.  All  were 


198  JACK   IX   THE   BUSH. 

weary,  and  the  soles  of  Tom's  feet  were  decidedly 
painful.  His  roommate  Max  felt  likewise  foot 
sore.  He  had  tramped  most  of  the  day  in  pursuit 
of  Mama  Bruin,  but  without  seeing  more  than 
her  tracks,  which  had  vanished  at  last. 


AT   THE   BIG   SALMON   HOLE.  199 


CHAPTER   VI. 

AT   THE   BIG   SALMON   HOLE. 

NEXT  morning,  although  the  sky  was  clear  and 
fine,  an  expanse  of  gray  smoke  overhung  the 
hills ;  and  across  the  river,  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  penetrate,  a  melancholy  vista  of  charred 
and  blackened  stumps  was  disclosed.  It  seemed 
a  fitting  time  to  change  the  scene ;  and  imme 
diately  after  breakfast  camp  was  broken,  and 
the  canoes  were  laden  for  the  expedition  to  the 
Big  Salmon  Hole.  The  spirits  of  all  were  some 
what  dampened,  however,  by  the  fact  that  old 
William  and  Jimmy  were  not  to  be  of  the  party. 
The  Colonel  and  Mr.  Holt  had  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  services  of  the  guides  were 
no  longer  necessary,  and  that  the  boys  would 
become  better  sportsmen  by  being  obliged  to 
depend  upon  their  own  exertions. 

The  Big  Salmon  Hole  was  distant  a  full  day's 


200  JACK  IN  THE   BUSH. 

journey  in  the  canoes.  As  the  guides  predicted 
that  the  rapids  would  be  getting  shoal,  on 
account  of  the  fall  of  the  water  during  the  last 
few  days,  it  was  important  to  dispense  with  all 
luggage  not  absolutely  indispensable  to  comfort. 

"  You  boys  will  have  a  chance  now  to  rough 
it  a  little,  and  to  understand  what  life  in  the 
woods  really  is,"  said  Colonel  Russell,  who  seemed 
to  feel  more  than  commonly  good-humored  at 
the  idea.  "  You've  been  feasting  on  the  fat  of  the 
land  down  here ;  but  where  we're  going  to  you'll 
get  no  fresh  butter,  bread,  eggs,  and  cream,  I 
can  tell  you.  After  this  it'll  be  salt  pork  for 
breakfast,  salt  pork  for  dinner,  salt  pork  for 
supper." 

"  That  doesn't  frighten  us  a  mite,"  said  Jack 
nonchalantly. 

The  only  bones  of  contention  were  the  cubs. 
The  idea  of  parting  with  them  was  too  painful 
to  be  entertained  by  the  boys  without  remon 
strance,  and  after  much  argument  passports  were 
obtained  for  the  youthful  Bruins.  By  half-past 
nine  all  was  ready,  and  the  Colonel  and  Mr. 
Holt  led  the  way  in  the  first  canoe,  which  was 


AT   THE   BIG   SALMON  HOLE.  201 

freighted  with  the  heavier  portion  of  the  luggage. 
Then  came  Max,  Hasy,  Joe,  and  Dandy,  and 
bringing  up  the  rear  the  other  three,  Daisy, 
and  Bingo. 

"  Good-by,  William.  Good-by,  Jimmy." 
"  Good-by  and  good  luck,  and  I  hope  you'll 
come  down  with  your  gunwales  under  water 
'cause  of  the  fish,"  cried  the  younger  guide,  in 
reply  to  the  chorus  of  farewell  shouts ,  while  old 
William  grinned,  and  waved  his  hat.  Then  the 
iron  sockets  clattered  against  the  bottom,  and  the 
crews  were  off.  Jack  stood  poling  in  the  bow 
of  his  canoe,  and  Tom  in  the  stern  ;  while  Max 
and  Hasy  filled  the  corresponding  positions  in 
the  canoe  ahead.  The  other  two  boys  had  made 
a  pillow  of  Daisy  and  Dandy  respectively,  and 
were  comfortable. 

Thus  far  the  party  could  boast  of  fine  sport. 
In  the  past  fortnight,  forty-two  salmon  had  been 
taken,  averaging  twenty-three  pounds ;  twenty 
more  had  been  played,  but  lost,  owing  to  a 
variety  of  mishaps.  This  one  had  wriggled  off 
the  gaff;  the  hook  had  worked  out  of  another's 
mouth  just  as  he  was  ready  to  be  landed ;  a  third 


202  JACK  IN  THE  BUSH. 

had  twisted  the  casting  line  around  a  snag,  and 
broken  it;  in  the  case  of  a  fourth,  the  head 
of  the  fly  had  parted  without  apparent  reason  ; 
and  a  fifth,  —  so  one  might  go  on  through  the 
category.  It  is  better  to  record  the  simple  fact 
that  in  each  case  the  fish  got  away,  leaving  the 
unfortunate  angler  to  experience,  as  he  felt  his 
line  relax,  that  terrible  sinking  sensation  in  the 
pit  of  the  stomach,  which  only  those  who  have 
lost  a  salmon  can  perfectly  realize. 

Now  they  were  going  still  farther  into  the 
wilderness  in  pursuit  of  the  fish  that  had  pushed 
on  to  the  pools  near  the  head  of  the  river.  The 
fresh  air  and  invigorating  exercise  had  tanned 
the  complexions  of  all,  and  given  to  every  one 
of  the  six  boys  a  greater  appearance  of  robust 
ness.  Mr.  Holt,  as  he  looked  back  at  the  youth 
ful  strugglers  against  the  current,  smiled  with 
satisfaction  at  so  many  evidences  of  the  benefit 
already  worked  by  their  outing.  Nor  did  he 
believe  that  the  benefit  was  merely  physical. 
Can  the  mind  of  an  energetic,  full-blooded  boy 
of  sixteen  fail  to  be  quickened  and  stirred  and 
interested  by  the  beauty  of  unredeemed  nature  ? 


AT   THE    BIG   SALMON   HOLE.  '20-\ 

While  lie  is  breathing  into  his  lungs  the  pure 
atmosphere  of  the  woods  and  mountains,  does 
not  his  heart  thrill  at  moments  with  a  keener 
sense  of  living,  realize  the  exalting  consciousness 
that  life  should  be  broad  not  cramped,  pure  not 
defiled  ?  As  he  feasts  his  eyes  on  the  sparkling, 
foaming  water-course  winding  out  from  stately 
hills,  whose  slopes  reflect  in  turn  the  majesty 
of  dawn,  noon's  luxuriance,  and  the  reverie- 
begetting  shadows  of  the  evening  hour,  does  not 
his  inner  vision  now  and  then  catch  glimpses  of 
life's  deeper  meanings,  which  bring  the  queries 
to  his  lips,  "What  am  I  doing?  What  is  the 
purpose  of  my  days  ? "  There  is  nothing  like 
severing  completely  for  a  time  one's  relations 
with  human  beings  as  they  ordinarily  live,  in 
order  to  escape  from  ruts,  and  readjust  one's 
perspective.  Those  of  us  who  are  grown  up 
realize  this ;  and  though  the  hobble-de-hoy  of 
sixteen,  either  from  false  shame  or  some  kindred 
cause,  may  be  less  willing  to  admit  his  suscepti 
bility  to  Nature's  influences,  you  may  feel  certain 
that  nine  times  in  ten  (I  could  almost  say  ninet}^- 
nine  out  of  one  hundred),  the  poet  in  him  —  what 


204  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

Will  Shakspeare  calls  the  part  of  his  mother  that 
every  man  has  in  himself — is  all  awake  and 
quivering.  While  he  seems  to  be  caring  merely 
for  killing  more  fish  or  shooting  more  birds  than 
any  one  else,  do  not  take  it  for  granted  that 
he  is  not  making  good  resolutions  as  to  what  he 
will  do  when  he  gets  home.  There  is  many 
a  boy  who  has  returned  at  the  beginning  of  the 
new  school  year  a  metamorphosed  being.-  He  was 
indifferent  once,  listless,  mischievous,  a  mere  hand- 
to-mouth  sort  of  living  lad.  Now  he  is  alert, 
eager,  ambitious,  with  eyes  that  tell  of  some  new 
power  at  work  within  him.  We  all  know  what 
that  means;  the  man  in  him  is  awakened.  But 
if  you  seek  the  cause  which  has  wrought  the 
change,  which  has  kindled  the  sacred  fire,  many 
a  time  you  will  find  that  the  trees  and  the  water 
falls  and  the  birds  and  the  presence  of  the 
ever  varying  hills  have  had  their  share  in  it. 
Nature  is  God's  best  interpreter. 

Jack's  canoe  had  been  the  last  to  get  away, 
and  almost  immediately  the  consciousness  that 
the  others  were  ahead  became  disagreeable  to 
him.  Boating  was  a  specialty  of  Jack's.  Already 


AT   THE   BIG   SALMON   HOLE.  205 

he  was  one  of  the  best  oars  at  Utopia  School, 
and  he  had  made  up  his  mind  long  ago  that 
before  graduation  he  would  become  its  champion ; 
therefore  it  nettled  him  to  see  so  inferior  a  crew 
as  he  set  down  Max  and  Hasy  to  be  in  the 
lead.  Accordingly  he  proposed  to  pass  them ; 
and  he  hoped,  after  doing  so,  to  be  able  at  least 
to  press  the  Colonel  and  Mr.  Holt  also.  He 
said  nothing  to  Tom,  but  gave  a  series  of  vicious 
shoves  with  his  pole,  that  sent  the  canoe  flying 
forwards.  A  moment  later  its  bow  almost  lapped 
the  stern  of  the  one  in  front.  Max  and  Hasy 
turned  their  heads,  and  Joe,  who  assumed,  per 
haps,  that  because  he  was  doing  nothing,  he  was 
captain,  saw  fit  to  remark,  — 

"Now,  don't  waste  your  energies  in  trying  to 
pass  us,  Jack,  for  you  can't." 

As  Joe  finished  speaking,  his  crew,  evidently 
seized  by  a  determination  not  to  renounce  the 
lead  without  a  struggle,  bore  energetically  upon 
their  poles.  They  had  just  reached  the  foot  of 
the  first  rapid,  and  now  ensued  much  clattering 
caused  by  the  contact  of  the  iron  sockets  against 
the  rocks  in  the  river;  and  not  only  clattering, 


206  JACK    IX    THE   BUSH. 

but  spattering  also.  The  canoes  swayed  and 
wobbled ;  and  Jack  and  Max  respectively,  in  their 
positions  at  the  bow,  found  difficulty  in  not 
falling  overboard.  I  can  tell  you,  boys,  poling 
against  the  rough  waters  of  a  salmon  river  is  no 
child's  play ;  and  if  you  hurry,  you  are  pretty 
sure  to  come  to  grief  in  one  way  or  another. 
Before  they  had  proceeded  more  than  a  hundred 
yards  on  the  rapid,  each  of  the  two  bow-oars 
—  if  we  may  so  style  them  —  was  forced  to 
the  conclusion,  that,  unless  he  moderated  his 
efforts,  the  water  would  be  soon  pouring  into 
his  canoe  through  a  hole  in  her  side.  Bumpety, 
bumpety,  bump,  was  the  not  exactly  pleasant 
music  that  rung  in  their  ears  at  every  attempt 
to  force  the  pace.  Evidently,  to  make  headway, 
the  path  must  be  picked  with  deliberation. 

This  irked  Jack,  who  would  fain  have  shown 
the  superiority  of  his  biceps  by  a  continuation 
of  the  savage  pushes  in  which  he  had  indulged 
at  the  start ;  but  he  saw  that  he  must  control 
his  ardor  if  he  hoped  to  win,  to  say  nothing  of 
not  smashing  the  canoe,  against  which  he  had 
been  cautioned  in  express  terms  by  the  Colonel 


AT   THE    BIG   SALMON    HOLE.  207 

just  before  leaving  camp.  The  only  course  to 
adopt  at  the  moment  was  to  tag  on  behind  the 
other,  and  wait  for  a  favorable  moment  to  get 
by.  The  difficulty  though  was,  that  Jack  had 
to  keep  his  whole  attention  fixed  on  the  water,  to 
avoid  banging  into  rocks.  The  moment  he  diverted 
it,  he  was  sure  to  be  rudely  admonished  by  a 
bump,  followed  by  Tom's  cautioning,  "  Steady 
there,  or  you'll  have  a  hole  in  her."  Jack  felt 
that  he  would  have  to  wait  until  they  reached 
a  smoother  place  before  he  could  gain  the 
lead. 

It  was  slow  work  fighting  against  the  stubborn 
current,  which  often  brought  them  to  a  standstill 
before  they  were  able  to  find  a  passage  past  some 
dangerously  protruding  boulder.  The  river-bed 
was  a  mass  of  rocks  both  big  and  little,  up  one 
side  of  which,  and  down  the  other,  the  water 
rushed,  surging  and  foaming.  At  last,  however, 
they  came  to  an  end  of  this  rapid,  and  Max's 
canoe  shot  stanchly  forward  into  a  clear  stretch, 
closely  followed  by  its  rival.  Jack  said  to  him 
self,  that  now  was  the  time  to  settle  the  matter. 
He  need  no  longer  worry  about  rocks  ahead. 


208  JACK   IN  THE   BUSiL 

The  water  was  unruffled,  and  the  bottom  was 
of  firm  shingle.  He  threw  all  his  weight  into 
every  shove  with  his  pole ;  and,  perceiving  that 
the  opponents  were  making  good  headway,  he 
turned  his  head,  and  said, — 

"  Now's  the  chance  to  hit  her  up  a  little, 
Tom." 

So  resolute  was  the  spurt  that  followed,  that 
Joe,  who  sat  facing  down  river,  and  could  keep 
his  eye  on  Jack,  evidently  cautioned  his  crew  to 
redouble  their  efforts.  Jack  realized  with  pride 
that  he  was  gaining  ground,  and  began  to  con 
sider  making  a  final  rush.  What  he  tried  to  do 
was  to  creep  in  between  the  others  and  the  shore, 
and  crowd  them  out.  But  they  were  quick 
to  perceive  his  design,  and  hugged  the  bank 
tenaciously. 

"  No  you  don't,"  shouted  Hasy  with  a  grin. 
"Do  you  take  us  for  countrymen?" 

Jack  made  no  reply  to  this  fling.  He  merely 
altered  the  direction  of  his  canoe,  so  that  now  it 
threatened  to  lap  the  enemy  on  the  off  side,  and 
shoved  vigorously. 

"  Let    her    go,    Gallagher ! "    cried    Joe,    who, 


AT  THE   BIG  SALMON  HOLE.  209 

though  educated  abroad,  was  rapidly  learning  the 
vernacular ;  and  Max  and  Hasy,  who  had  not  been 
making  so  serious  exertions  as  their  rivals,  were 
able  to  respond  nobly  to  this  urgent  appeal.  For 
some  minutes  the  canoes  maintained  the  same 
position,  dashing  on  at  a  famous  pace.  Both 
crews  were  on  the  right-hand  bank  looking  up 
river,  and  were  poling  on  the  left  side  of  the 
canoes.  This  last-mentioned  circumstance  obliged 
Jack  to  avoid  fouling  the  poles  of  his  adversaries 
with  his  bow,  in  seeking  to  pass,  as  it  would  have 
impeded  him  no  less  than  them.  But  when,  in 
attempting  a  final  rush,  he  diverged  sufficiently 
for  this  purpose,  he  perceived  that  he  was  get 
ting  into  deeper  water.  Undismayed,  however, 
he  leaned  upon  his  pole  with  such  vim  that  he 
could  feel  it  bend,  and  brought  himself  abreast 
of  Haseltine,  who  was  in  the  stern. 

"'Now,  gallant  Saxon,  hold  thine  own!'"  he 
hissed  in  the  ear  of  his  opponent,  indulging  in 
a  quotation  which  he  knew  was  familiar  to 
Haseltine. 

Not  only  Hasy  but  Max  heard  the  warning,  who, 
looking  behind  him,  realized  the  peril  they  were 


"210  JACK  IN  THE   BUSH. 

in,  and  suddenly  turned  the  head  of  the  canoe 
outward  so  as  to  force  the  other  farther  from 
the  shore. 

Struggling  madly  for  the  lead,  and  conse 
quently  blind  as  to  his  course,  Jack  found  himself 
in  deep  water,  which  paralyzed  his  endeavors. 
He  lunged  wildly,  seeking  still  to  hold  the 
bottom.  These  unsteadying  motions  on  his 
part  served  to  divert  his  canoe  still  further,  and 
in  another  moment  he  and  Tom  were  beyond 
the  depth  of  their  poles  and  in  the  middle  of  the 
stream. 

"Look  out,  or  you'll  have  her  over,"  cried  Tom, 
as  Jack  in  his  frantic  efforts  to  regain  a  hold 
thrust  down  to  right  and  left. 

"  Good-by,  sweet-heart,  good-by,"  shouted  little 
Joe  in  delight,  kissing  his  hand  as  his  canoe, 
turned  toward  the  shore  again,  darted  on. 

Poor  Jack,  boiling  with  wrath,  was  quick  to 
appreciate  how  ludicrous  he  must  appear,  vainly 
pawing  the  water  with  his  pole,  and  being  carried 
down  stream  instead  of  advancing.  The  laughter 
of  his  rivals,  who  were  all  grinning  at  his  plight, 
was  bitter  as  wormwood. 


AT   THE    BIG   SALMON   HOLE.  211 

"  Can't  you  stop  her  ?  "  he  said  fiercely  to  Tom, 
as  the  head  of  the  canoe  swung  across  the  stream, 
exposing  a  broadside  to  the  current.  Tom  made 
an  ineffectual  dab  with  his  pole,  realizing  the 
fruitlessness  of  any  such  attempts. 

"  That's  no  use,"  shouted  Jack.  "  I'll  show 
you."  He  plunged  his  pole  eagerly,  until  only  the 
tip  protruded  above  water.  "  I've  got  bottom  ! " 
So  he  had  for  a  moment ;  but  though  he  held  on 
like  a  vise,  and  knelt  down  so  as  to  bring  his  arm 
as  near  the  water  as  possible,  the  swift  current 
carried  the  canoe  down  in  spite  of  it  so  as  to 
change  the  angle  of  the  pole. 

"  You'll  have  her  over !  You'll  have  her  over !  " 
shouted  the  other  two. 

This  prophecy  would  immediately  have  been 
fulfilled,  had  not  Jack,  perceiving  that  the  water 
was  pouring  in  as  a  consequence  of  his  leaning 
over  the  edge  of  the  canoe,  let  go  the  pole  to 
avoid  capsizing.  He  ground  his  teeth,  and  seized 
the  paddle  beside  him  as  lie  should  have  done  at 
first.  In  this  he  was  imitated  by  Tom,  and  a  few 
sweeps  enabled  them  to  recover  the  floating  pole 
and  escape  from  the  deep  pool. 


212  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

The  boys  looked  at  one  another  sheepishly. 
"  They've  got  the  laugh  on  us,  that's  sure,"  said 
Tom. 

"  Let  them  laugh ;  we're  not  at  the  Big  Salmon 
Hole  yet,"  was  Jack's  answer.  He  could  see  the 
victors  just  disappearing  around  a  bend  in  the 
river,  after  having  waited  to  make  sure  that  no 
serious  mishap  had  overtaken  their  victims. 
Somehow,  the  only  one  he  felt  vindictive  against 
was  Max.  Not  merely  because  Max  had  been  the 
immediate  cause  of  his  discomfiture,  but  from  a 
general  sense  of  his  own  superiority,  as  Jack  would 
have  called  it,  but  which  if  analyzed  was  begin 
ning  to  be  closely  akin  to  jealousy.  He  had  made 
up  his  mind  from  the  start  that  Max  was  beneath 
notice  as  a  competitor  for  the  rifle,  and  had  dis 
missed  him  from  his  calculations ;  and  yet  every 
day  since  he  had  been  forced  to  acknowledge 
secretly  that  "  the  softy  "  was  not  quite  so  despi 
cable  as  he  had  at  first  supposed.  It  is  not  agree 
able  to  have  to  change  one's  settled  convictions, 
especially  when  it  involves  admitting  that  one 
assumed  to  be  of  no  account  may  possibly  become 
a  rival. 


AT   THE   BIG  SALMON   HOLE.  213 

"  That  was  a  mean  trick,  I  call  it,"  he  said,  as 
they  resumed  their  course. 

"  What  ?  "  asked  Dubsy. 

"  Shoving  us  out  into  deep  water  like  that.  It 
was  just  worthy  of  a  tenderfoot." 

"  That's  so,"  said  Dubsy. 

"I  shouldn't  like  to  have  him  win  the  rifle, 
should  you?"  Tom  remarked  after  a  pause. 

"Max?"  asked  Dubsy. 

«  Yes." 

"  Pooh  !  He  hasn't  any  show.  What  makes 
you  think  he  has  ?  "  exclaimed  Jack  sourly. 

"  He's  not  so  fresh  as  he  was,  for  one  thing," 
said  Tom. 

"  He's  jolly  fresh,  though,  still.  A  tenderfoot, 
that's  what  I  call  him." 

"  He  stands  being  knocked  round  pretty  well," 
continued  Tom  reflectively.  "  Did  you  ever  see 
his  hands?  They're  all  cuts  and  bruises  and 
bites ;  but  he  doesn't  talk  about  them." 

"  That's  not  much  to  brag  of.  Neither  did  you 
complain  about  your  feet  when  you  scorched 
them  yesterday." 

"  No ;    but   then,  I've   been   used   to  cuts   and 


214  JACK   IX  THE   BUSH. 

burns  all  my  life.  I  once  nearly  killed  myself 
with  arsenic  stuffing  a  bird." 

"  I  don't  see,"  said  Jack,  after  poling  for  a  few 
moments  in  silence,  "how  a  fellow  who  only 
knows  about  books,  and  can  scarcely  tell  the 
difference  between  a  base-ball  bat  and  a  rifle,  and 
whose  skin  is  as  delicate  as  a  girl's,  —  yes,  and 
isn't  able  to  distinguish  a  bear  cub  from  a  New 
foundland  pup,  can  be  a  better  sportsman  than 
you,  Tom,  or  Hasy  or  Dubsy." 

"No-o,"  replied  Tom  doubtfully.  "Only  you 
know  the  Colonel  said  everything  would  count.' 

"  Well,  if  he  means  that  a  fellow  has  got  to  be 
able  to  repeat  poetry  and  do  sewing,  I'll  give  up 
at  once."  Jack  spoke  bitterly,  having  in  mind 
that  a  day  or  two  before  Colonel  Russell  had 
spoken  in  praise  of  Max's  ability  to  fasten  a  button 
on  a  pair  of  trousers. 

In  spite  of  this  professed  contempt,  Jack  was 
conscious  of  brooding  and  of  feeling  irritated. 
Although  he  chose  to  style  the  device  by  which 
he  had  been  left  behind  in  the  race  a  trick,  he 
knew  that  Max  had  really  done  nothing  unsports 
manlike.  Indeed,  the  cleverness  of  the  act 


AT   THE   BIG   SALMON   HOLE.  215 

increased  his  humiliation.  But  one  point  was 
clear  in  his  mind,  —  he  would  give  the  tenderfoot 
plenty  of  occupation  to  retain  his  lead  to  the 
end.  If  Max  could  prevent  him  from  getting  by 
during  the  whole  day,  he  could  afford  to  crow.  It- 
was  a  little  early  to  do  so  yet.  Thus  reflecting,  he 
bent  himself  to  his  work  again,  sturdily  seconded 
by  Tom,  while  Dubsy  endeavored  to  bail  out  the 
water  that  had  got  in  at  the  time  of  their  catas 
trophe.  As  they  came  round  the  bend  at  which 
the  rival  canoe  had  disappeared  from  view,  they 
came  in  sight  of  it  once  more,  not  very  far  ahead. 

"  What  are  they  trying  to  do  ? "  said  Dubsy, 
who  was  the  first  to  notice  that  it  had  come  to  a 
stand-still. 

"  Look  at  that,  now,"  said  Jack.  "  Max  is 
tuckered  out  already,  and  Joe  is  changing  places 
with  him.  That  fellow  has  no  sand." 

"I'll  take  your  place,  if  you're  tired,"  said 
Dubsy,  addressing  Tom,  whose  partial  defence  of 
the  tenderfoot  prompted  him  to  this  solicitous 
inquiry. 

"  No,  thank  you,  dearest.  I'll  let  you  know 
when  I  need  your  assistance." 


216  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

"  It's  what  I  call  pusillanimous,"  continued 
Jack  with  indignation.  "  He  keeps  the  lead  by 
a  fluke,  and  as  soon  as  we  get  in  sight  again, 
backs  out  of  the  race.  A  fine  sportsman  your 
friend  is." 

"  I  didn't  say  he  was  a  sportsman,"  said  Tom, 
resenting  the  shaft  thus  directed  at  him. 

"  Well,  you  needn't  get  mad  about  it." 

"  Mad  ?  It's  you  who  are  mad.  Come,  now,  I 
don't  see  anything  very  pusillanimous  in  Max's 
letting  Joe  try  his  hand  for  a  while,  if  he's  tuck 
ered.  You're  free  to  do  the  same,  and  none  of  us 
are  fresh  as  we  were.  We've  got  the  day  before 
us,  and  the  best  crew  is  the  one  that  comes  in  first 
at  the  Big  Salmon  Hole.  Here,  Dubsy,  I'll  accept 
your  offer,"  Tom  added,  putting  down  his  pole  ; 
"  you  take  hold,  and  I'll  keep  company  with  Daisy 
for  a  mile  or  so." 

"  All  right,"  said  Jack  disdainfully.  To  tell  the 
truth,  he  was  secretly  conscious  that  Max  was  very 
wise.  His  own  exertions  had  made  him  feel,  as 
Tom  had  well  expressed  it,  not  as  fresh  as  he  had 
been,  and  they  had  many  miles  to  go.  However, 
he  would  not  have  admitted  it  for  a  hundred 


AT   THE   BIG   SALMON   HOLE.  217 

dollars.  "  Hit  her  up,  Dubsy,  and  we'll  pass 
them,"  he  added. 

They  started  off  in  fine  style,  but  before  Dubsy 
had  made  more  than  a  dozen  strokes,  he  managed 
by  ill  luck  to  wedge  the  point  of  his  socket  in 
between  two  rocks.  Jack,  who  did  not  see  this, 
gave  the  canoe  another  shove  ahead  before  warned 
by  his  companion's  cry  that  anything  was  wrong. 

44  Stop  her  !  stop  her  !  Oh !  "  cried  Dubsy, 
clinging  stanchly  to  the  upright  pole,  and  trying 
by  movements  from  side  to  side  to  free  it.  Just 
as  he  was  on  the  point  of  abandoning  it  in  order 
not  to  be  pulled  out  of  the  canoe,  there  was  "an 
ominous  sound  and  out  it  came.  But,  on  inspec 
tion,  the  point  of  the  pole  proved  to  be  badly 
cracked  just  above  the  rim  of -the  iron  socket. 

"  Bother !  "  said  Dubsy,  exhibiting  the  result  to 
the  others. 

"  How  stupid  of  you ! "  said  Jack  in  disgust, 
realizing  that  the  accident  would  involve  making 
a  new  point  for  the  socket  before  they  could  go 
on. 

"I  couldn't  help  it,  Jack,"  answered  Dubsy 
deprecatingly. 


218  JACK   IN  THE   BUSH. 

"  It  was  fearful  clumsy." 

"That  isn't  true,  Jack,"  said  Dubsy  quietly, 
but  in  such  a  tone  as  to  show,  that,  though  submis 
sive,  he  would  not  put  up  with  more  than  a  certain 
amount  of  abuse.  He  pulled  out  his  jackknife, 
and  cutting  off  the  crushed  point  began  deliber 
ately  to  scoop  out  the  wood  from  the  socket. 

Jack,  after  an  unintelligible  growl,  turned  the 
canoe  to  the  bank,  where  lie  moodily  held  her 
during  the  ten  minutes  of  delay.  Not  only  was 
he  sore  against  Max,  and  beginning  to  despair  of 
being  other  than  a  poor  third  in  the  race,  but  he 
was  conscious  from  the  existing  silence  of  having 
strained  his  relations  for  the  moment  with  Tom 
and  Dubsy  by  his  own  ill-nature,  and  so  shut  him 
self  off  from  sympathy.  He  asked  himself  why 
he  had  been  so  foolish.  But  still  he  could  not 
make  up  his  mind  to  change  his  tactics. 

"  All  ready,"  said  Dubsy  at  length,  laconically. 

Off  they  started,  and  for  half  an  hour,  while 
not  a  word  was  spoken,  made  grand  progress. 
Jack's  own  determined  efforts  were  ably  seconded 
by  the  faithful  Dubsy,  who,  in  spite  of  the  affront 
put  upon  him,  was  true.  They  had  soon  caught 


AT  THE  BIG  SALMON  HOLE.  219 

sight  of  their  opponents  ;  and,  though  Max  was 
still  resting,  it  gave  Jack  some  satisfaction  to  see 
the  gap  between  the  canoes  diminish.  Moreover, 
the  Colonel  and  Mr.  Holt  were  not  so  hopelessly 
in  the  van  as  to  preclude  the  possibility  of  coming 
up  with  them.  On  they  went,  fighting  valiantly 
against  the  frequent  rapids,  until  they  were  fairly 
dripping  with  perspiration  and  nearly  exhausted. 

"  Ready  to  swap  places  with  either  of  you 
fellows,"  said  Tom,  breaking  the  silence.  But 
there  was  no  response  save  the  hard  breathing 
of  the  polers. 

Another  quarter  of  an  hour  passed,  and  they 
were  not  more  than  three  hundred  yards  from  the 
canoe  ahead,  when  it  stopped  again  to  let  Max 
reassume  his  post,  and  Joe  change  places  with 
Hasy.  The  sight  of  this  whetted  Jack's  somewhat 
panting  energies.  He  buckled  to  his  work,  and 
in  a  few  moments  had  materially  lessened  the  lead, 
so  that  Joe's  taunts  again  became  audible. 

"  Comment  vous  portez-vous,  messieurs?  We'd 
given  you  up.  Thought  you'd  drifted  down  to 
Gaspe*  Basin  by  this  time.  We'll  report  you  as  on 
the  way." 


220  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

Max  set  a  swinging  gate  for  his  brother  to 
follow,  and  for  some  little  while  Jack  and  Dubsy 
could  gain  no  further  advantage.  Then  a  low 
branch  served  them  by  knocking  off  Max's  cap. 
By  the  time  it  had  been  fished  out,  there  was  not 
more  than  a  length  between  the  canoes.  Jack  felt 
weary  in  every  joint,  and  was  puffing  like  a  gram 
pus  ;  yet  he  was  resolved  to  make  one  desperate 
effort  to  pass,  if  he  dropped  in  the  attempt.  But 
now  the  question  arose,  as  to  how  to  prevent  a 
repetition  of  the  tactics  that  had  foiled  him  before. 

Max  was  carefully  hugging  the  shore,  and  a 
glance  at  the  stream  satisfied  Jack  that  it  was  by 
no  means  shallow  farther  out.  As  he  looked,  an 
idea  suddenly  occurred  to  him,  upon  which  he 
immediately  began  to  act  by  turning  the  head  of 
the  canoe  away  from  the  bank,  much  to  Dubsy's 
astonishment,  who  cried,  "  What  are  you  trying 
to  do,  Jack  ?  " 

"  Cross  over  to  the  other  side.  Then  they  can't 
play  that  dodge  on  us  again."  So  saying,  Jack 
sat  down,  and  seizing  his  paddle  sent  the  canoe 
flying  across  the  current  by  a  few  deft  strokes, 
before  his  comrades  had  fully  appreciated  his 


AT  THE   BIG  SALMON   HOLE.  221 

intention.  Then,  without  losing  a  moment  after 
reaching  the  opposite  bank,  he  gave  the  signal  to 
Dubsy,  and  on  they  went  poling  with  new  vim. 

Sagacious  as  was  the  scheme,  Jack  had  not 
taken  into  account  that  the  two  banks  of  a  salmon 
river  are  not  always  equally  easy  of  ascent.  The 
rapid  by  which  he  was  at  once  beset  teemed  on 
their  side  with  ugly  rocks  and  boiling  cascades  in 
miniature,  while  the  other  canoe,  apparently,  was 
finding  an  easy  passage.  But  on  they  struggled, 
taking  in  water,  bumping  the  canoe,  and  now  and 
again  nearly  toppling  over  themselves,  in  spite  of 
every  effort  to  use  care,  and  finally  brought  her 
through  without  losing  materially  on  their  rivals. 
Here  there  was  a  long  piece  of  still,  straight  river, 
at  the  end  of  which  Jack  perceived  the  Colonel 
and  Mr.  Holt  hauling  up  their  canoe.  It  had 
been  given  out  that  they  would  eat  luncheon  near 
a  brook  called  the  North  Fork,  and  this  was 
evidently  the  place. 

"  It's  our  last  chance,"  said  Jack.  "  Hit  her  up 
lively  now."  Dubsy  nodded,  and  responded  with 
a  will.  But  the  most  generous  and  ambitious 
spirit  cannot  avail  beyond  a  certain  point.  Dubsy 


222  JACK  IN   THE  BUSH. 

had  been  working  hard,  and  he  was  by  no  means 
Jack's  equal  in  physique.  Although  he  plied  his 
pole  with  all  his  remaining  energy,  he  could  not 
add  much  to  the  pace.  Still  every  little  was  of 
service,  especially  as  Jack  himself,  bare-armed  and 
bare-headed,  his  shirt  loosened  at  the  neck  and 
hanging  down,  was  ramming,  with  set  teeth,  his 
socket  against  the  river-bed,  and  bending  on  it  all 
his  sinewy  weight,  still  not  quite  exhausted,  and 
eying  now  the  goal  and  now  his  adversary.  Less 
demonstrative  in  their  style,  but  straining  every 
nerve,  Max  and  Joe  were  pressing  on,  fully  alive 
to  the  necessity  of  making  every  stroke  tell.  The 
canoes  fairly  leaped  through  the  water.  Thanks 
to  his  almost  superhuman  efforts,  Jack  had  unde 
niably  gained  a  little,  —  was  still  gaining.  Looking 
across  the  river,  he  could  appreciate  this  himself. 
The  enemy's  stern  almost  shut  off  the  other  bank 
from  his  view.  He  caught  sight  of  Hasy,  an 
interested  spectator  of  the  contest,  and  could  tell 
from  his  face  that  he  regarded  the  victory  of  the 
Fearing  pair  as  by  no  means  assured. 

"Hit  her  up,  Dubsy,  once  more,  and  we'll  get 
there,"  Jack  murmured  excitedly,  while  just  then 


AT   THE   BIG   SALMON   HOLE.  223 

he  heard  the  encouraging  shouts,  and  perceived 
the  waving  hats,  of  the  Colonel  and  Mr.  Holt,  who 
evidently  understood  what  was  going  on.  The 
halting-place  now  was  not  more  than  two  hundred 
yards  away,  and  he  was  only  abreast  of  Joe.  He 
must  pole  faster  yet,  or  he  would  be  beaten. 
Shutting  his  eyes,  he  lunged  so  energetically  that 
his  body  was  almost  doubled  up. 

"  Go  in,  Max  ;  go  in,  Jack  !  Well  done  !  The 
best  crew  wins." 

Max  heard  the  shouts,  and  they  set  his  blood 
on  fire.  He,  too,  was  tired  to  the  bone  and  scant 
of  breath.  His  sight  was  dim  with  moisture,  and 
his  hands  raw  with  blisters ;  but  he  knew  that  he 
was  still  ahead,  and  that  there  was  little  farther  to 
go.  To  beat  Jack  would  be  a  triumph  as  sweet 
as  unexpected.  Before  the  race  he  would  have 
deemed  it  impossible.  If  only  he  could  hold  out 
a  moment  longer,  victory  was  his.  Like  Jack  he 
shut  his  eyes,  and  made  half  a  dozen  stalwart 
shoves,  the  last  of  which  sent  the  canoe  past  the 
pole  which  the  Colonel  had  hastily  planted  upright 
at  the  water's  edge  as  a  winning-post.  He  had 
won. 


224  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

Jack,  beaten  by  about  a  length,  crossed  the  river 
in  grim  silence.  The  Colonel  and  Mr.  Holt,  who 
had  been  congratulating  the  victors,  now  came 
forward  to  greet  the  vanquished  with  smiles 
slightly  sardonic,  inasmuch  as  they  knew  that 
Max  had  hitherto  been  rated  low  by  the  others 
as  an  adversary.  However,  they  were  not  dis 
posed  to  increase  the  bitterness  of  defeat  by 
jibes. 

"  A  close  race,"  said  the  Colonel  judicially. 

Jack  bit  his  lip  to  keep  the  tears  from  coming 
into  his  eyes. 

"  They  beat  us  from  the  start,"  he  managed  to 
utter.  The  words  cost  him  exertion,  but  he  was 
glad  when  they  were,  spoken. 

"  We  shouldn't  have  come  in  first,  if  you  hadn't 
met  with  so  many  accidents,"  said  Max.  "You 
know,"  he  added,  addressing  the  elders,  "they  got 
into  deep  water  once,  where  they  couldn't  pole, 
and  afterwards  something  else  happened." 

"  Dubsy  broke  his  point,"  explained  Tom. 

Jack  looked  gratefully  at  Max.  He  had  not 
expected  such  magnanimity  from  a  tenderfoot. 
"  What  you  did  was  all  fair  enough,"  he  blurted. 


AT  THE   BIG   SALMON   HOLE.  225 

"  I'd  have  forced  you  out  in  the  same  way,  if  you'd 
given  us  the  chance." 

"  Then  we  rested  by  turns,"  said  Max.  "  That 
made  a  great  difference." 

"Yes,  you  rested,"  Jack  answered  slowly. 
"  Dubsy  changed  places  with  Tom,  too.  T  feel 
pretty  well  tuckered,  though,"  he  added. 

This  last  admission  was  one  that  Jack  would 
never  have  made,  but  from  the  desire  not  to  be 
outdone  in  generosity. 

"  And  so  do  I,"  said  Max. 

"  I  think  you  all  have  rather  a  dilapidated  air," 
said  Mr.  Holt. 

"  I  tell  you  what,  though,"  said  Jack  pensively ; 
"I'll  race  you  any  other  day  you  say,  Max,  for 
an  equal  distance,  —  you  and  I  alone,  each  to  pole 
his  own  canoe ;  and  I'll  give  you  choice  of  sides 
of  the  river." 

"  I'm  willing  to  try." 

"  Speaking  of  dilapidation,"  broke  in  the  Colo 
nel,  who  had  been  examining  the  canoes,  "  seems 
to  me  the  boats  have  fared  worst  of  all.  You 
boys  have  got  a  half  hour's  work  before  you  in 
the  way  of  calking,  if  you  expect  to  get  to  the 


226  JACK  IN  THE   BUSH. 

Salmon  Hole  to-night  with  a  dry  skin."  •  Where 
upon  he  pointed  to  the  numerous  indentations 
and  scars  on  the  bottoms  of  the  canoes. 

The  truth  of  this  comment  was  very  apparent ; 
and  while  luncheon  was  being  got  ready,  those 
not  employed  in  its  preparation  procured  a 
supply  of  gum  from  the  spruce-trees,  which  they 
melted  at  the  fire,  and  rubbed  over  the  most 
serious-looking  seams.  All  the  party  found  re 
freshment  in  laving  their  faces  and  hands  in 
the  ice-cold  water  of  the  North  Fork,  the  broad 
musical  brook  which  at  this  point  empties  into 
the  main  river.  Then,  after  taking  off  the 
edges  of  their  appetites  by  a  meal  of  tea, 
pilot-bread,  and  potted  tongue,  the  canoes  were 
launched  again. 

"  Now,  no  more  racing,  to  begin  with,"  said 
Mr.  Holt, 

"  I  was  just  going  to  make  the  same  remark 
myself,"  said  the  Colonel.  "  You're  the  color 
of  a  Stilton  cheese,  Max ;  and  you  needn't 
look  so  cocky,  Jack,  for  you're  not  a  bit  better. 
It'll  be  all  you  can  do,  as  it  is,  to  get  to  camp 
without  spurting." 


AT   THE   BIG  SALMON   HOLE.  227 

To  tell  the  truth,  this  was  not  an  unwelcome 
order  to  the  boys ;  for,  now  that  the  excitement 
was  over,  none  of  them  were  feeling  inclined  to 
repeat  the  exertions  of  the  morning.  Moreover, 
.they  found,  as  the  Colonel  had  foretold,  that  they 
needed  all  their  remaining  energy  to  ascend  the 
river  in  a  very  leisurely  fashion.  Although  Jack 
got  away  from  the  North  Fork  before  the  rival 
canoe,  and  saw  fit  out  of  pride  not  to  let  one  of 
the  others  take  his  place  at  first,  it  was  not  long 
before  he  gave  up,  and  plumped  down  beside 
Daisy.  Indeed,  there  was  a  general  sigh  of  relief 
when  House  No.  2  appeared  in  sight.  This  cabin 
was  considerably  smaller  than  the  one  below,  but 
large  enough  to  afford  shelter  to  all  in  case  heavy 
rain  or  the  flies  should  drive  them  indoors.  In 
front  of  it  lay  a  long  bubbling  stretch  of  dark 
water,  which  was  the  Big  Salmon  Hole.  To  fish 
it  one  stood  on  a  projecting  curve  of  the  bank 
which  overhung  the  pool,  the  conformation  of  the 
shore  here  being  higher  and  more  rocky.  The 
mountains  seemed  nearer  than  before,  and  shut 
them  in  on  every  side.  The  walls  inside  the 
little  house  were  decorated  with  the  scores  of 


228  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

former  anglers,  inspiring  testimony  as  to  what 
might  be  hoped  for  in  the  way  of  fish. 

It  may  well  have  been  that  the  boys  secretly 
yearned  for  the  assistance  of  old  William  and 
Jimmy  to  assist  them  after  the  hard  day's  jour 
ney  ;  but,  nevertheless,  they  set  to  work  indus 
triously  to  make  tent-poles,  collect  firewood  and 
hemlock,  and  perform  the  various  tasks  incident 
to  pitching  camp.  The  sun  had  set  and  the 
twilight  was  deepening  into  darkness  before 
supper  was  on  the  table.  The  half  of  a  salmon 
brought  from  below  staved  off  for  another  day 
at  least  salt-pork  fare ;  and  after  they  had  eaten 
every  scrap  of  it,  in  addition  to  some  hot  canned 
soup  which  tasted  uncommonly  good,  all  sought 
and  encircled  the  grand  fire  which  Mr.  Holt  and 
Joe  had  built  to  neutralize  the  chill,  which,  at 
this  higher  altitude,  is  apt  to  come  over  the 
atmosphere  of  the  woods  in  midsummer.  It 
seemed  quite  frosty,  in  fact,  so  that  overcoats 
felt  very  comfortable  to  the  overheated  boys. 

44  Well,"  said  Mr.  Holt,  casting  his  eyes  up  at 
the  clear  heavens  now  studded  with  stars,  and 
sniffing  the  air  odorous  with  the  aroma  of  the 


AT  THE  BIG  SALMON  HOLE.  229 

tall  pines  that  towered  up  on  every  side,  "  this 
is  what  I  call  camping  out.  I  don't  like  the  idea 
of  paying  a  man  to  do  what  one  really  ought  to 
do  for  himself,  in  order  to  be  a  thorough  woods 
man.  Now  there  are  no  masters  and  no  servants." 

"  No,  only  masters  and  boys,"  said  Max  with 
a  laugh. 

"  I  don't  think  the  distinction  is  a  very  marked 
one,"  said  the  Colonel.  "For  the  matter  of  that, 
we're  all  boys  out  here  in  the  woods.  At  least,  I 
claim  to  be.  We'll  let  the  Big  Medicine  Man 
speak  for  himself." 

"  Pray  don't  let  the  distinction  be  made  on  my 
account,"  said  Mr.  Holt,  "  if  I  am  the  person 
referred  to.  Indeed,  I  am  the  most  of  a  boy  of  any 
in  the  party ;  for  the  rest  of  you  take  life  so 
seriously,  —  fishing,  hunting,  and  poling  as  if  vital 
interests  depended  on  the  result  of  your  individual 
powers:  whereas  I  am,  so  to  speak,  volatile,  —  con 
tent  to  cast  a  little,  and  smoke  a  little,  and  paddle 
a  little,  and  read  a  little,  and  watch  the  clouds  a 
little,  and  eat  a  great  deal,  —  each  as  the  humor 
seizes  me.  Consequently,  I  suppose,  the  Colonel 
will  claim  that  I  don't  enjoy  myself." 


230  JACK  IX  THE   BUSH. 

"  It  isn't  my  way  of  enjoying  myself,  certainly," 
exclaimed  Colonel  Russell,  "  and  —  Well,  go 
on.  Let's  hear  what  you  were  going  to  say." 

"  I  know  it  isn't ;  and,  of  course,"  continued  the 
master,  relighting  his  pipe,  "I"  —puff — "  don't 
wish  for  a  moment" — puff — kito  say  a  word 
against  the  so-called  genuine  sportsman"  —  puff — 

"  You'd  better  not,"  said  the  Colonel.  "  Had 
he,  boys  ?  " 

"  No ! "  was  the  unanimous  cry,  which  showed 
where  the  sympathies  of  the  audience  were  for 
the  moment. 

"You  boys  wait  until  I'm  through,"  said  Mr. 
Holt,  "  aiid  then  you  may  shout  as  much  as  you 
please.  As  I  was  going  to  say,  when  interrupted, 
the  Colonel  is  an  admirable  character,  a  thorough 
going  sportsman  in  every  sense  ;  and  as  such  it 
behooves  him,  and  I  can  understand  why  it  should 
interest  him,  to  pursue  indefatigably  salmon  or 
bear  or  whatever  the  game  of  the  region  where  he 
happens  to  be  is,  up  early,  and  returning  to  camp 
late,  regardless  of  rain,  heat,  flies,  and  never  idle 
a  moment.  That  is  the  programme  to  be  followed 
by  the  man  or  boy  who  wishes  to  make  a  large 


AT   THE   BIG   SALMON   HOLE.  231 

bag,  and  be  spoken  of  as  a  Mighty  Hunter 
(accept  this  epithet  in  return  for  Medicine  Man). 
I  am  the  last  person  to  regard  otherwise  than  with 
profound  admiration  the  triumphs  of  such  un 
wearying  ardent  spirits  ;  and  in  claiming  toleration 
for  the  less  energetic  clan,  of  which  I  am  in  a 
certain  sense  representative,  let  me  acknowledge 
frankly,  that  the  angler  who  gives  up  after  casting 
over  a  pool  once  or  twice  in  an  airy  fashion,  and 
passes  on  to  the  next  one,  or  hands  his  rod  to  his 
boatman  to  try  with  while  he  reads  a  novel,  must 
renounce  all  claim  to  being  looked  on  as  a  first-rate 
fisherman." 

"I  should  think  so,  forsooth,"  cried  the  Colonel. 
"  The  only  thing  to  be  said  in  favor  of  such  fair- 
weather  individuals  is,  that  by  their  failure  to 
comb  the  pools  for  fish,  and  beat  the  bushes  for 
birds,  there  is  more  chance  for  the  persevering 
kind  to  kill  the  game  that  would  have  fallen  to 
them  had  they  been  diligent." 

"  Precisely.  We  acknowledge  our  degradation  ; 
and  all  we  ask  is  that  we  be  permitted  to  enjoy 
ourselves  in  our  own  way,  and  that  you  sporting 
swells  do  not  keep  telling  us  forever  that  we  are 


232  JACK  IN  THE  BUSH. 

not  enjoying  ourselves.  Incredible  as  it  may 
seem,  there  are  many  excellent  people  who  derive 
more  satisfaction  from  the  surroundings  of  camp- 
life  than  from  the  sport  itself.  Men's  tastes  differ 
as  much  in  the  woods  as  in  the  midst  of  civiliza 
tion  ;  and,  while  one  is  keen  in  pursuing  game, 
another  would  scarcely  walk  a  mile  to  kill  a  bear 
or  a  moose,  —  might  even  think  it  a  bore,  —  and 
yet  delight  in  the  woods  all  the  same." 

"  Hear  him  ! "  said  the  Colonel  disdainfully. 
"  Ye  gods  and  little  fishes,  think  it  a  bore  to  kill  a 
moose  !  Show  me  the  man." 

"The  woods  are  full  of  them,"  was  the  imper 
turbable  answer.  "  There  is  many  a  busy  man 
whose  only  escape  from  the  worries  of  business 
is  to  plunge  into  the  forest  primeval,  where  no 
telegram  or  letter  can  find  him,  and  there  luxuriate 
doing  nothing;  letting  fish,  if  they  will,  fasten 
themselves  on  to  his  hook,  or  birds  peep  into  the 
barrel  of  his  gun,  but  not  taking  it  much  to  heart 
if  they  fail  to  do  so.  Or,  again,  there  is  the  clergy 
man  or  quiet  scholar-,  to  whom  the  use  of  gun  or 
rod  is  wholly  unfamiliar,  and  to  whom  paddling 
or  wood-chopping  or  botanizing  furnishes  recreation 


AT   THE   BIG  SALMON   HOLE.  233 

more   congenial  than  tracking  bears  or  following 
twenty-pound  salmon  over  rapids." 

"  Ah,  yes  !  "  said  the  Colonel.  "  But  the  clergy 
man  or  quiet  scholar  would  be  all  the  more  of  a " 
man  for  learning  how  to  use  a  rod  or  gun,  and  the 
business  man  had  better  let  the  fish  alone,  and  not 
stir  up  the  pools,  if  he  doesn't  care  whether  he 
kills  any  or  not." 

The  boys  laughed  at  this  sally. 

"  But  supposing  they  prefer  not  to  follow  your 
advice,  —  though  I  dare  say  it  would  be  well  if 
they  did,  in  many  cases,  —  what  I  maintain,"  said 
Mr.  Holt  quietly,  u  is  that  they  who  lead  this  lazy 
life  are  as  able  to  appreciate  the  beauties  of  Nature 
quite  as  much,  if  not  more,  than  3^011  other  fellows 
who  will  follow  a  deer  from  sunrise  to  sunset. 
You  genuine  sportsmen  are  cranks  in  a  certain 
way.  You  believe  that  no  one  can  enjoy  himself 
except  by  imitating  you.  There,  put  that  in  your 
pipe  and  smoke  it.  Mine  has  gone  out  from  too 
much  talking." 

"  A  crank,  eh !  Do  you  hear  that,  my  young 
Nimrods  ?  This  ease-loving  master  of  yours  calls 
us  cranks.  Well,  then,  we  are  cranks  —  enthu- 


234  JACK   IX   THE   BUSH. 

siasts — whatever  you  choose;  but,  in  that  case, 
so  were  Isaac  Walton  and  Humphry  Davy.  Do 
you  believe  that  either  of  them  would  have 
admitted  for  a  moment  that  the  forest  and  the 
stream  and  the  birds  and  the  hues  of  morning 
and  evening  are  as  intelligible  to  one  who  fishes 
merely  to  kill  time,  and  knows  nothing  of  tackle 
and  flies,  as  to  an  ardent  follower  of  the  sport 
they  loved  so  well  ?  " 

"  Very  likely  not,"  —  puff,  —  "  but  that  doesn't 
alter  my  opinion." 

"  Bah !  I  disown  you,"  said  the  Colonel. 
"  Boys,  henceforth  you  have  to  choose  between 
your  master  and  me.  Under  which  king, 
Bezonian  ?  " 

"  Hurrah  for  Colonel  Russell,"  cried  Jack. 

"  That's  so,"  said  Dubsy,  and  a  cheer  that 
seemed  general  followed. 

"  I'm  sure,"  said  Hasy,  who  had  been  lost  in 
thought,  uthat  when  I'm  playing  a  base-ball 
match  I  always  enjoy  a  fine  day  or  a  beautiful 
sky  more  than  at  other  times." 

Every  one  laughed  loudly  at  this  pertinent 
testimony  to  the  point  of  the  discussion,  and 


AT   THE   BIG   SALMON  HOLE.  235 

the  Colonel  exclaimed  with  rapture,  "  Of  course 
you  do,  Hasy." 

"  I  seem  to  be  in  a  decided  minority,"  said  Mr. 
Holt,  when  the  mirth  had  subsided.  "  But  I'm  not 
at  all  disconcerted  thereby.  You  boys  are  quite 
right  to  model  yourselves  on  the  Colonel.  His 
theory  is  more  inspiriting  than  mine.  But  I  shall, 
in  spite  of  his  and  your  displeasure,  reserve  the 
right  as  Medicine  Man  to  enjoy  my  own  opinion  as 
to  the  capabilities  for  enjoyment  which  those  of  my 
less  persevering  disposition  possess.  Moreover,  I 
will  take  my  revenge  upon  you  all  at  the  moment, 
by  breathing  the  mystic  word  —  bed-time." 

In  spite  of  some  little  outcry,  none  were  averse 
to  being  reminded  that  the  day  had  been  exhaust 
ing,  and  not  many  minutes  after  the  boys  had 
separated  to  their  quarters.  The  cabin  was  un 
occupied,  as  there  seemed  to  be  a  general  opinion 
that  the  tents  were  less  stuffy.  Mr.  Holt  shared 
one  with  the  Colonel,  who  as  soon  as  they  were 
out  of  hearing  remarked, — 

"  What  should  you  think  of  our  letting  two 
of  the  boys  go  up  to  the  Narrows,  and  camp  by 
themselves  for  a  few  days  ?  " 


236  JACK  IN  THE  BUSH. 

"  Alone  ?  " 

uYes,"  said  the  Colonel.  "It  seems  to  me 
that  it  might  be  a  good  experience  for  them, 
and  that  they  would  scarcely  run  a  greater  risk 
by  themselves  than  if  with  us.  To  tell  the 
truth,"  he  added,  "there  is  not  enough  fishing 
below  here  to  keep  us  all  busy,  and  the  pools 
above  are  sure  to  be  full  of  salmon.  There's 
a  rough  log  cabin  a  little  way  below  the  falls, 
in  which  they  could  live,  as,  owing  to  the  low 
condition  of  the  river,  they  couldn't  get  a  canoe 
up  even  as  far  as  the  Indian  Falls:  so  they 
wouldn't  want  to  carry  a  tent  or  any  other 
luggage  not  absolutely  necessary.  There's  an 
old  canoe  of  mine  up  there  that  would  answer 
their  purpose  for  fishing.  I'll  go  up  with  them,  — 
it's  only  four  miles,  but  Gaspe*  miles  with  wind 
falls  every  hundred  yards,  —  and  get  them  estab 
lished.  How  does  it  strike  you?" 

"I  see  no  objection,"  answered  the  master. 
"  Indeed,  it  strikes  me  as  altogether  a  sensible 
plan.  Have  you  any  two  of  the  boys  especially 
in  mind  ?  " 

The  Colonel  shook  his  head. 


AT   THE   BIG-  SALMON   HOLE.  237 

"  Then  T  think  it  would  be  a  good  idea  if  we 
let  Jack  and  Max  be  the  two,"  said  Mr.  Holt. 
"  You  may  not  have  noticed  that  there  is  a  quiet 
rivalry  between  them,  which  I  think  is  having  a 
good  effect  on  both.  Jack  began,  in  common 
with  the  others,  by  looking  down  on  Max,  and 
he  is,  I  judge,  still  trying  to  persuade  himself 
that  he  is  justified  in  doing  so ;  but  one  or  two 
such  experiences  as  he  had  this  morning  will 
open  his  eyes,  if  they  are  not  open  already,  to 
the  fact  that  he  has  no  nonentity  to  deal 
with." 

"Max  is  improving,  certainly,"  said  the  Colonel. 
"  I  was,  as  you  know,  rather  tempted  to  share 
Jack's  opinion  of  him  at  the  start ;  but  he  is  not 
lacking  in  grit,  I  will  do  him  the  justice  to  say, 
however  much  in  need  of  experience  he  may  be. 
He  handled  the  gun  yesterday  as  if  he  didn't 
know  the  butt  from  the  muzzle,  and  yet  he 
tramped  right  along  for  six  hours  without  utter 
ing  a  word  of  complaint." 

"  Jack  is  likely  to  learn  from  him  that  one 
may  be  scholarty  and  book-loving  in  his  tastes 
without  being  a  4  softy '  or  a  weakling,"  con- 


238  JACK   IX   THE   BUSH. 

tinued  Mr.  Holt.  "On  the  other  hand,  he  will 
derive,  from  competition  with  Jack,  a  stimulus 
to  become  more  manly,  and  needed  training  for 
his  muscles.  If  it  seems  best  to  you,  we  will 
let  them  be  companions  at  the  Narrows ;  and,  as 
they  are  the  biggest  two  of  the  party,  we  can 
give  that  as  our  reason  for  the  selection,  in  case 
of  general  competition  for  the  privilege." 

The  plan  thus  decided  on  was  laid  before  the 
boys  next  morning,  and  met  with  general  approval, 
inasmuch  as  the  chances  for  fish  for  those  remain 
ing  at  the  Big  Salmon  Hole  would  be  improved 
by  the  departure  of  two  such  keen  anglers  as 
Jack  and  Max.  Jack  himself,  while  delighted 
at  the  opportunity  offered,  did  not  regard  with 
enthusiasm  the  choice  of  his  associate.  Forgetting 
or  regardless  of  the  episode  of  the  previous  day, 
he  made  the  reflection  that  Max,  to  keep  pace  with 
him,  would  have  to  alter  his  ladylike  ways,  and 
show  more  gumption.  Tf  not,  he  would  have  to 
shift  for  himself.  Jack  had  no  idea  of  playing 
nurse,  and  endeavored  to  convey  an  impression  to 
this  effect  by  a  few  hints  which  lie  dropped  when 
the  elders  were  out  of  hearing. 


AT   THE   BIG  SALMON   HOLE.  239 

The  two  boys  were  not  to  start  until  the 
following  day,  in  order  that  they  might  explore 
the  present  surroundings.  The  Colonel  went  out 
before  breakfast,  and,  standing  on  the  projecting 
ledge  referred  to,  landed  in  quick  succession  three 
fine  salmon,  which  relieved  all  present  anxiety  on 
the  score  of  fresh  food. 

"  There  was  a  time,  boys,"  said  Mr.  Holt,  as 
they  settled  down  fifteen  minutes  later  to  some 
slices  cut  from  one  of  the  shining  beauties,  "  when 
salmon  were  so  plentiful  in  the  State  of  Maine,  — 
which  was  then  a  part  of  Massachusetts,  —  that 
factory  apprentices  used  to  stipulate  in  their 
contracts  that  they  should  not  be  obliged  to  eat  it 
more  than  a  certain  number  of  days  in  the  week." 

"  Here  it  is  Hobson's  choice,"  said  the  Colonel. 
"  But  if  none  of  you  ever  have  to  eat  anything 
worse  than  salmon,  you  may  count  yourself  lucky. 
I've  sucked  buffalo  skin  on  the  plains,  and  been 
grateful  for  roast  horse." 

After  the  meal  was  over,  the  Colonel  resigned 
his  post  to  Mr.  Holt,  and  piloted  all  the  boys  but 
Dubsy  and  Joe,  detained  by  camp  duties,  down  to 
the  pools  below,  —  the  Still  Pool,  the  Dog  Pool, 


240  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

and  Maitland's,  out  of  which  respectively  two,  four, 
and  three  salmon  were  taken  by  him,  Tom,  and 
Hasy,  the  allotted  anglers  of  the  day.  The  sport 
was  excellent.  The  fish  not  having  been  disturbed 
before  this  season  were  in  rising  humor,  and 
snapped  at  whatever  fly  one  chose  to  cast,  be  it 
Jock  Scott,  Cock  Robin,  Prince  of  Orange,  Black 
Dose,  Silver  Doctor,  or  Faiiy. 

All  the  boys  were  by  this  time  excellent  anglers, 
and  Hasy  had  the  good  fortune  to  land  at 
Maitland's  a  thirty-five  and  a  half  pounder,  the 
largest  fish  yet  taken,  in  sixteen  minutes,  a  vivid 
contrast  to  Jack's  five  hours'  experience.  But,  as 
the  Colonel  remarked  at  the  time,  the  largest 
salmon  in  a  river  are  apt  to  be  more  logy  than 
those  five  or  ten  pounds  lighter.  Indeed,  Hasy 
confided  to  Jack  disappointment  that  the  monster 
had  not  pulled  more. 

The  description  of  the  capture  of  one  salmon  is 
to  a  certain  extent  that  of  all,  but  to  the  angler 
there  is  variety  in  every  fish  encountered.  He 
who  starts  after  breakfast,  and  returns  at  nightfall 
with  two  or  three,  has  had  a  successful  day; 
and  there  are  few  sensations  more  agreeable  than 


AT   THE   BIG  SALMON   HOLE.  241 

the  consciousness  that  the  heap  of  alder-bushes  at 
one's  feet  in  the  canoe  conceals  a  noble  twenty 
pounder  landed  after  a  gallant  struggle  for  life  and 
liberty.  In  a  good  year,  there  are  days  when  one 
may  bag  five,  six,  seven,  eight,  or  nine,  and  lose 
two  or  three  more,  and  even  then  be  in  no  danger 
of  breaking  the  record  of  a  single  twelve  hours' 
sport;  but  this  is  exceptional  good  fortune.  As 
the  Colonel  observed  on  returning  to  camp  this 
evening,  the  aggregate  for  the  day  of  fourteen  fish 
to  four  rods  —  Mr.  Holt  had  killed  three  besides 
the  others  enumerated  —  was  a  record  of  which 
any  party  had  a  right  to  be  proud. 

Indeed,  it  is  to  be  said,  that  he  who  kills  one 
fine  salmon  in  a  day  has  no  just  cause  to  murmur ; 
he  is  a  happy  being.  Let  him  recall  the  number 
of  blank  days  he  has  experienced.  And  those" 
blank  days  are  very  blank, — blankety,  blankety, 
blank,  to  quote  our  friend  Jack's  expression 
regarding  one  of  them.  Patience  at  such  times  is 
a  virtue  of  the  noblest  order,  as  indeed  it  ought 
always  to  be  regarded.  And  a  first-rate  sportsman 
is  always  patient. 


242  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE   RIVALS. 

THE  path  to  the  Narrows  led  through  thick 
woods,  though  it  could  be  called  a  path  only  by 
courtesy.  Large  trunks  had  fallen  across  it,  grass 
and  moss  had  grown  over  it,  and  the  blaizes  on 
the  trees  had  become  obscure.  It  was  made  use 
of  only  by  a  few  anglers  in  summer,  and  the 
Gaspe*  men  who  in  winter-time  went  up  to  the 
hills  to  shoot  caribou.  The  Colonel  tramping 
first  with  axe  in  hand  did  some  strenuous  clearing 
of  the  underbrush,  and  knocked  out  splinters  in 
an  occasional  pine  or  birch  along  the  way,  so  that 
Nature  might  not  be  able  to  boast  of  having  oblit 
erated  every  trace  of  civilization.  Behind  him 
stalked  Jack  and  Max,  proud  of  their  coming 
liberty ;  and  all  three  were  laden  with  the  indis 
pensable  paraphernalia  for  a  week's  outing, — 
blankets,  a  kettle,  a  gun,  a  gaff,  the  rods,  a  rubber 


THE   RIVALS.  243 

bag  containing  a  change  of  clothing  for  each  boy, 
and  another  into  which  had  been  stuffed  sundry 
stores  and  an  accumulation  of  necessary  odds  and 
ends  (such  as  matches,  twine,  soap,  towels ;  a  knife, 
fork,  and  spoon  apiece ;  some  tin  plates  and  two 
tin  cups,  and  a  lantern).  .The  kit  had  been  made 
as  small  as  possible ;  otherwise,  the  young  sports 
men  would  have  fallen  by  the  way  under  the  press 
of  their  burdens.  But,  as  it  was,  they  were  able 
to  march  along  with  tolerable  comfort. 

Though  the  distance  was  said  to  be  but  four 
miles,  they  were  certainly  the  genuine  Gaspe* 
miles  the  Colonel  had  foretold  them  to  be,  equal, 
at  least  as  far  as  one's  impressions  were  concerned, 
to  six  of  the  ordinary  sort.  Jumping  over  or 
climbing  round  windfalls,  when  one  is  laden  like 
a  mule,  is  not  the  most  exhilarating  form  of  exer 
cise.  But,  while  Jack  had  no  high  opinion  of  it 
as  sport,  he  took  good  care  not  to  let  Max  suspect 
that  he  felt  in  any  way  hampered  by  what  he  was 
carrying.  He  whistled,  and  now  and  then  ran 
a  few  yards,  to  show  how  indifferent  he  was  to  his 
load.  In  attempting,  however,  to  clear  a  fallen 
tree  at  a  bound,  instead  of  going  round  it,  he 


244  JACK   IN  THE   BUSH. 

came  so  near  pitching  headlong,  that  he  was  re 
minded  of  his  recent  fiasco,  and  resolved  to  confine 
within  less  dangerous  limits  his  inclination  for 
display. 

"  How  do  you  like  it  as  far  as  you've  got  ?  "  he 
inquired  patronizingly  of  his  companion,  down 
whose  face  the  perspiration  was  streaming  as  a  not 
unnatural  result  of  wearing  a  knapsack  across  his 
back,  and  carrying  one  of  the  rubber  bags  swung 
over  one  of  his  shoulders,  and  the  bundle  of  rods 
in  the  other  hand. 

"  Rather  warm  work,  isn't  it  ?  " 

"Not  especially.  I  feel  first-rate.  Want  me  to 
take  those  rods  for  you  ?  *' 

Max  smiled  and  shook  his  head.  Though  he 
appeared  grateful,  he  would  have  been  very  slow 
to  avail  himself  of  the  offer. 

The  path  was  pretty  straight  in  spite  of  its 
difficulties,  whereas  the  river  wound  in  and  out, 
so  that  they  rarely  were  within  sight  of  it;  but 
they  could  from  time  to  time  hear  the  murmur  of 
the  rapids,  which  presently  became  so  loud  that 
the  Colonel  exclaimed,  — 

"  We'll  have  a  look  at  the  Indian  Falls,  boys." 


THE   RIVALS.  245 

Whereupon  he  dropped  the  various  articles 
which  he  was  carrying,  and  led  the  way  at  right 
angles  from  their  course  in  the  direction  of  the 
river.  The  boys,  having  imitated  his  example, 
followed,  and,  after  struggling  through  the  intri 
cacies  of  the  forest  for  a  few  moments,  they 
reached  the  bank.  In  front  was  an  expanse  of 
seething  foam,  the  first-fruits  of  the  cascade,  which 
but  just  above  fell  in  a  swift  tawny  deluge  some 
eight  feet  high.  Farther  up,  as  far  as  they  could 
see,  the  river  came  tearing  down,  billowy  and 
churning. 

u  How  should  you  like  to  run  that,  Jack  ? " 
asked  the  Colonel. 

"  In  a  canoe  ?  Golly  !  I  should  think  it  would 
smash  her  all  to  pieces." 

"  The  chances  would  be  decidedly  that  way," 
was  the  dry  answer. 

For  a  few  moments  they  all  watched  the  water 
fall  without  speaking.  There  was  a  fascination 
in  the  smooth  way  in  which  the  galloping  flood 
slipped  over  the  verge  and  dropped  in  a  shimmer 
ing  wall  below. 

"  I  should  think  it  would  get  tired,"  said  Max. 


246  JACK   IN  THE   BUSH. 

"  It  does  occasionally,"  said  their  guide.  "  That 
is  to  say,  the  water  becomes  low  in  the  river,  and 
the  rocks  begin  to  show  themselves ;  and,  though 
the  fall  always  exists,  it  loses  in  force  and 
picturesqueness. 

"Did  anyone  ever  run  it  in  a  canoe?"  asked 
Jack,  who  had  been  brooding  over  the  earlier 
dialogue. 

"I  have  never  seen  any  one  attempt  it.  The 
men  in  former  years  have  been  fond  of  boasting 
of  their  ability  to  do  so ;  but,  when  it  came  to  the 
point,  I  have  noticed  that  they  were  apt  to  say 
the  water  was  either  too  low  or  too  high." 

"But  how  does  one  manage  to  come  down, 
then  ?  "  asked  Max. 

"  Carry  round  it,"  answered  Jack  with  an  air 
of  superiority. 

"Yes,"  said  the  Colonel.  "The  canoes  used 
to  stop  a  little  piece  above  here,  and  the  men 
carried  them  on  their  shoulders  the  necessary 
distance.  But,  owing  to  the  inconvenience  of 
tnis,  a  canoe  has  for  the  last  few  years  been  kept 
at  the  Narrows,  so  that  no  one  often  troubles  the 
falls  nowadays." 


THE   RIVALS.  247 

After  a  few  minutes  of  further  inspection,  the 
onward  march  was  resumed,  not  to  be  interrupted 
again  until  they  reached  the  log  cabin.  This 
proved  to  be  an  unsealed  and  rather  gaping- 
looking  affair,  exposed,  on  account  of  crevices 
between  the  logs,  to  the  inroads  of  the  man  or 
beast  that  might  from  curiosity  or  desire  for 
shelter  seek  an  entrance.  In  fact,  as  the  Colonel, 
after  unfastening  the  padlock,  let  in  the  light, 
there  was  a  clattering  along  the  floor,  and  a 
creature  the  size  of  a  small  dog  was  descried 
in  a  corner  of  the  single  apartment.  On  the 
approach  of  the  visitors,  it  contracted  itself  into 
a  round  ball,  and  appeared  to  be  bristling  all 
over  with  quills. 

"  A  hedgehog,"  said  the  Colonel.  "  Lucky  for 
Bingo  that  he  is  absent,  or  he  would  stand  a 
chance  of  carrying  off  some  arrows  in  his  snout. 
These  fellows  are  very  clever  at  eating  their 
way  into  houses  in  the  woods,"  he  added,  calling 
the  attention  of  the  boys  to  a  hole  that  had  been 
gnawed  in  the  flooring. 

By  means  of  prodding  with  the  butt  of  the  gaff, 
the  prickly  beast  was  banished  from  the  cabin 


248  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

without  injury  either  to  it  or  its  ejectors  :  and 
after  tidying  the  place  a  little,  and  bestowing 
their  belongings,  Jack  and  Max  put  their  rods 
together,  and  set  off  with  the  Colonel  to  learn 
the  positions  of  the  pools.  The  canoe,  a  birch- 
bark  one,  was  found  in  the  loft,  and  in  it  a  pair 
of  paddles.  Two  poles  were  soon  manufactured, 
and  shod  with  sockets.  As  the  canoes  they  had 
been  using  hitherto  were  of  wood,  the  boys 
found  themselves  for  the  first  few  minutes  a 
little  at  sea,  but  they  soon  got  accustomed  to 
the  somewhat  different  action  of  the  new  skiff. 
After  leaving  the  house,  the  river  began  to  grow 
narrower  and  narrower,  running  swiftly  between 
bold,  sheer  precipices  on  either  side,  now  thickly 
wooded  and  now  bare,  but  skirted  usually  at 
the  base  by  a  narrow  beach  of  sand,  until  at 
last  the  banks  were  not  more  than  thirty  feet 
apart.  At  this  point,  there  was  a  roaring  rapid, 
at  the  head  ol  which  the  walls  opened  out  into 
a  broad,  expansive  pool,  the  sanctuary  of  hun 
dreds  of  salmon,  so  said  the  Colonel.  It  was  a 
beautiful  spot;  its  surface  a  dark,  placid  mirror, 
flecked  here  and  there  with  patches  of  snowy 


THE   RIVALS.  249 

foam  which  had  sailed  down  from  the  fall  a 
little  way  above. 

"  Whoever  hooks  a  fish  in  that  pool  has  to  kill 
him  there,"  said  the  Colonel.  "If  he  gets  into 
the  rapid,  he  bids  you  good-by." 

This  was  not  difficult  of  belief,  especially  as 
the  boys  had  just  had  all  they  could  do  to 
force  the  canoe  through  the  torrent  in  question. 
After  a  few  moments'  delay,  keeping  close  to 
the  shore  so  as  not  to  disturb  the  fish,  they 
passed  on  through  a  chain  of  pools  —  one  of 
them  of  unusual  length  —  to  the  graceful  fall 
half  a  mile  above,  under  which  the  salmon  were 
accustomed  to  congregate  in  large  numbers  prior 
to  taking  the  daring  leap  that  gave  them  access 
to  still  more  distant  spawning  beds.  As  a 
waterfall,  the  cascade  was  not  very  imposing, 
—  much  less  so,  the  Colonel  said,  than  those  in 
many  other  salmon  rivers ;  but  the  volume  of 
water  was  high  and  broad  enough  to  cause  Jack 
and  Max  to  wonder  how  the  finny  aspirants 
could  manage  to  ascend  it.  They  crept  up  to 
within  a  few  yards  of  the  cataract,  where  they 
held  the  canoe  steady  with  their  paddles,  so 


250  JACK  IN  THE  BUSH. 

close  to  it  that  they  could  feel  the  light  spatter 
of  the  spray.  As,  spell-bound,  they  were  watching 
the  translucent  down-pour,  a  salmon  suddenly 
jumped  out  of  water  just  ahead,  quivered  for 
a  moment  in  mid-air,  and  fell  back  again  into 
its  native  element  with  a  splash. 

"  That  fellow  was  taking  a  look  to  see  how 
high  it  was,"  said  the  Colonel. 

Soon  after  they  had  the  good  fortune  to  wit 
ness  a  successful  attempt  on  the  part  of  another 
fish,  which,  keeping  close  to  the  wall  of  rock, 
using  a  ledge  here  and  a  ledge  there  as  a  breath 
ing-place,  and  obtaining  impetus  by  standing  on 
its  tail,  swam  up  the  cataract.  Max,  as  the 
triumphant  climber  darted  forward  out  of  sight, 
inquired,  — 

"  What  is  there  beyond,  —  farther  up  river  ?  " 

"Very  much  the  same  sort  of  thing  you  have 
seen  below,  for  twenty  miles  or  so,  and  then  the 
lake." 

"  Could  we  go  up  ?  "  asked  Jack. 

"There  would  be  no  difficulty  after  you  had 
carried  the  canoe  round  this  fall,  but  the  trip 
would  scarcely  pay  you.  I  went  up  some  years 


THE    RIVALS. 

ago,  and  found  the  fishing  only  tolerable,  and  the 
scenery  not  especially  fine.  The  salmon  are  more 
scattered  and  congregate  less  in  pools." 

"But  wouldn't  there  be  a  better  chance  of 
seeing  big  game  ?  "  asked  Jack. 

"Not  a  bit.  Max's  old  adversary  is  just  as 
likely  to  learn  of  your  being  up  here  alone  as  if 
you  were  to  go  up  farther.  You'd  better  be  on 
your  guard,  by  the  way ;  for,  if  she  should  happen 
to  get  wind  of  it,  she  might  take  it  into  her  head 
to  organize  a  prowling  party  to  make  reprisal  for 
the  loss  of  her  cubs." 

"I  wish  she  would,"  said  Jack,  and  Max  nodded 
approval  of  this  bold  sentiment. 

Before  returning  to  the  Big  Salmon  Hole,  the 
Colonel  cast  a  fly  over  the  long  pool,  and  in  less 
than  an  hour  had  landed  two  large  fish,  and  lost  a 
third.  Then  the  boys  prepared  him  a  lunch,  after 
which  he  bade  them  good-by  for  a  fortnight,  as  he 
said. 

Two  persons  alone  in  the  woods  cannot  escape 
each  other's  society.  Fishing  side  by  side,  sitting 
together  by  the  same  fire  at  night,  and  sharing  the 
same  tent,  with  no  one  else  to  speak  to,  opens 


252  JACK   IX   THE    BUSH. 

one's  eyes  wonderfully,  alike  to  the  blemishes  and 
the  fine  points  in  a  companion's  character.  Jack, 
as  we  know,  had  come  away  with  an  indeterminate 
idea  of  setting  a  very  lively  pace  for  Max  to  follow, 
so  as  to  put  him  in  the  shade  or  tire  him  out 
by  his  own  activity  and  energy.  He  began  accord 
ingly  to  devote  himself  with  the  utmost  assiduity 
to  his  rod,  rising  early,  and  ceasing  to  fish  only 
when  lack  of  daylight  rendered  further  casting 
useless.  Moreover,  he  cut  down  trees  and  cooked 
with  equal  enthusiasm,  seeming  to  scorn  fatigue, 
and  to  wish  to  take  upon  his  shoulders  all  the 
work.  In  the  evening  he  led  the  conversation  to 
the  various  sports  of  which  his  companion  was 
ignorant,  hinting  at  his  own  proficiency  therein, 
and  singing  the  praises  of  rowing  and  base-ball, 
and  the  manly  art  of  self-defence,  in  a  way  adapted, 
as  he  thought,  to  make  Max  experience  shame  and 
envy,  and  ask  himself,  "Am  I  not  a  flub-dub?" 
This  was  an  expression  Jack  had  applied  to  him, 
not  openly,  as  he  had  no  excuse  for  a  row,  but 
covertly  in  his  own  thoughts. 

Meantime  Max  disappointed  him  by  not  appear 
ing  in  the  least  exhausted  by  the  daily  routine  of 


THE   RIVALS.  253 

pleasure  and  duty,  and  in  nowise  inclined  to  faint 
by  the  wayside,  or  to  allow  himself  to  be  out 
stripped  either  in  fishing  or  in  work.  The  flub 
dub,  so  called,  certainly  made  no  complaints,  but 
was  perfectly  willing  to  get  up  in  the  morning  as 
soon  as  it  was  light,  insisted  on  taking  part  in 
collecting  fire-wood  and  preparing  breakfast,  and 
gave  him  no  opportunity  to  make  a  bigger  score 
on  the  river  by  idling  or  ceasing  to  fish  before  he 
did ;  and  with  it  all  was  thoroughly  good  natured, 
listening  to  the  accounts  of  rowing  and  base-ball 
exploits  with  friendly  interest,  and  yet  without 
seeming  disheartened  thereby.  Jack  had  hardly 
bargained  for  this. 

As  they  had  but  one  canoe,  and  as  neither  was 
skillful  enough  as  yet  to  gaff  his  own  fish  while 
holding  the  rod,  as  they  had  seen  the  Colonel  do, 
the  boys  kept  near  each  other  while  fishing ;  the 
one  casting  from  the  beach  where  it  was  possible, 
while  the  other  cast  from  the  canoe.  The  salmon 
rose  wonderfully.  On  the  day  after  the  Colonel's 
departure  they  took  four  apiece,  and  on  the  next 
the  fishing  was  fairly  grand.  Jack  landed  seven, 
and  Max  lost  his  seventh  from  its  wriggling  off 


254  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

the  gaff.  They  had  agreed  that  when  a  fish  was 
ready  for  gaffing,  the  one  whose  fish  it  was  should 
pass  his  rod  to  his  companion,  and  perform  himself 
the  delicate  operation  of  gaffing.  So  it  wTas  none 
of  Jack's  fault  that  this  fish  was  lost ;  and,  as  it 
would  have  tied  his  score,  Jack  could  not  help 
feeling  a  little  secret  satisfaction.  But  two  days 
later  the  salmon  was  found  floating  dead  in  an 
eddy,  and  it  seemed  to  him  as  though  fate  were 
opposed  to  his  shaking  off  Max. 

After  the  third  day  the  fish  rose  less  keenly, 
and  the  boys  were  not  sorry  on  the  afternoon 
of  the  fifth  to  see  the  sun  go  down  behind  a 
bank  of  clouds.  Rain  followed  before  morning, 
a  drenching  drizzle  at  first,  which  increased  by 
breakfast  time  into  heavy  showers.  Jack  per 
sisted  in  fishing,  to  which  Max  made  no  demur 
beyond  remarking  that  the  Colonel  had  told  them 
that  salmon  rarely  would  take  the  fly  during  a 
storm. 

"  You  can  never  be  sure  until  you  try,"  said 
Jack  laconically. 

Accordingly  they  tried  for  three  hours,  attired 
in  rubber  coats  and  boots,  without  getting  a  rise. 


THE   RIVALS.  255 

Moist  and  clammy,  for  it  was  hot,  they  returned 
to  the  log  cabin.  Here  the  time  went  slowly, 
especially  for  Jack.  Max  had  his  volume  of  poetry 
with  him,  from  which  he  offered  to  read  aloud ; 
but  our  hero  would  none  of  it.  After  sunset 
the  rain  ceased,  and  later  on  the  moon  broke 
through  the  clouds.  As  it  had  not  been  possible 
to  make  a  fire,  they  had  lived  on  cold  rations 
during  the  day,  and  now  Jack  had  curled  himself 
in  his  ulster  and  laid  down.  Max  wandered  down 
to  the  water's  edge.  The  night  was  rapidly  be 
coming  fine.  A  favorable  breeze  had  banished  the 
scud,  and  was  driving  the  cloud-bank,  through 
which  the  moon  had  pierced,  down  behind  the 
tree-tops.  The  river,  showing  already  the  effects 
of  the  severe  rain,  was  running  fiercely,  and 
reflected  the  alternate  light  and  shade  of  the 
heavens. 

"  Jack ! "  called  Max,  inspired  to  share  the 
spectacle. 

"  What  ?  "  came  the  drowsy  answer. 

"  You  ought  to  see  the  sky.     It's  very  fine." 

There  was  no  response.  Evidently  the  subject 
did  not  appeal  to  him  within  doors,  or  he  was  not 


256  JACK  IN  THE  BUSH. 

disposed  to  humor  his  comrade's  poetical  proclivi 
ties.  A  few  moments  later  Max  called  again,  but 
this  time  his  tone  expressed  importunity  and 
mystery  combined. 

"  Jack,  come  here  quick." 

The  drowsy  sportsman  jumped  to  his  feet 
straightway,  and  ran  out  into  the  night;  but 
seeing  Max  standing  at  the  water's  edge,  seem 
ingly  unperturbed,  he  changed  his  gait  to  a 
saunter,  and  said  a  little  querulously,  — 

"  Well,  here  I  am." 

"  Come  quick,"  repeated  Max,  in  a  low  tone. 

Jack,  again  impressed,  hastened  his  footsteps. 

"Do  you  see  anything?"  Max  asked,  pointing 
across  the  river  a  little  up  stream.  "  I  have  lost 
it  now,"  he  added,  "but  I  could  almost  swear 
I  saw  a  canoe  close  to  the  opposite  bank." 

"  A  canoe  !     Whose  canoe  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  It  crossed  one  of  those  bright 
streaks,  and  I  saw  it  as  plainly  as  could  be. 
Then  it  passed  beyond,  and  I  have  not  seen  it 
again.  There  was  one  man  poling." 

"Going  up  stream?" 

«  Yes." 


THE   RIVALS.  257 

Jack  was  shading  his  eyes  with  one  hand,  and 
staring  fixedly.  Some  thin  clouds  had  partially 
obscured  the  moon,  so  that  the  light  on  the  river 
was  fitful  and  less  effulgent. 

"  I  can't  see  anything,"  he  said  decidedly. 

"  Very  possibly  it  was  imagination,"  said  Max. 
"Though  I  saw  the  canoe  for  a  moment  with 
perfect  distinctness,"  he  added,  evidently  reluctant 
to  admit  that  he  had  been  deceived.  "I  don't 
suppose  there  are  such  things  as  phantom  barks, 
do  you?" 

"  Pshaw  !  no,"  answered  Jack.  "  You've  been 
reading  a  lot  of  that  silly  stuff,  which  has  made 
you  fancy  you  saw  something,  I  guess." 

"Poetry,  do  you  mean?"  asked  Max,  surprised. 

"  Yes." 

In  spite  of  his  disdainful  disclaimer  of  a 
disbelief  in  the  supernatural,  Jack  seemed  reflec 
tive,  and  after  gazing  up  river  for  a  few  minutes 
longer  inquired, — 

"  What  did  the  canoe  look  like  ?  " 

"  Like  any  other  canoe." 

"  It's  queer,  certainly,  if  you  weren't  dreaming." 

"  I  was  just  as  much  awake    as  you   are  now, 


258  JACK  IN   THE   BUSH. 

Jack.  It  may  have  been  an  hallucination,  of 
course.  But  it's  what  I  call  weird." 

As  there  was  no  way  of  solving  the  mystery, 
bed  seemed  the  best  place.  In  the  morning  they 
found  the  fish  quite  eager  to  rise,  owing  doubtless 
to  the  discoloration  of  the  water  by  the  rain. 
The  river  was  manifestly  swollen,  and  had  risen 
at  least  a  foot  during  the  night.  After  killing 
four  salmon,  and  losing  one  or  two  others,  they 
drew  the  canoe  ashore  at  the  Narrows  pool,  and 
prepared  lunch.  Just  as  they  had  finished,  Max, 
who  was  looking  across  the  river,  suddenly 
whispered,  — 

"Look,  Jack." 

"It's  a  bear,"  was  the  awe-struck,  delighted 
answer. 

Sure  enough,  on  the  opposite  bank,  busily 
engaged  in  gnawing  the  end  of  a  log,  was  a 
splendid  brown  specimen  of  the  ursine  tribe. 
The  boys  were  in  the  shade,  and  not  directly 
exposed  to  the  creature's  view  ;  but  they  could  not 
reach  their  canoe,  in  which  lay  the  gun,  without 
running  the  risk  of  attracting  its  attention. 

"We  must  get  a  shot  at  him,"  said  Jack,  and 


THE   RIVALS.  259 

he  began  to  creep  on  all  fours  down  the  bank. 
By  stealthy  movements,  he  managed  to  reach 
the  shore  without  disturbing  the  bear,  and  had 
reached  out  his  hand  for  the  gun,  when  there 
came  a  sudden  quawk,  quawk,  quawk,  and  a 
shell-drake  started  up  from  the  sedge  a  few  feet 
beyond,  and  stretching  out  its  long  neck  went 
screeching  down  the  river,  so  startling  Jack  that 
he  jumped,  and  joggled  one  of  the  poles  which 
lay  across  a  thwart.  Bruin  heard  the  clatter, 
and  looking  up  spied  Jack.  Rising,  he  pawed 
the  air  for  a  moment,  but  dropped  to  earth  and 
disappeared  in  the  thicket,  before  Jack,  who 
had  grabbed  the  gun,  could  draw  a  bead  on 
him. 

"  Come  on,"  cried  Jack,  in  a  guttural  whisper, 
and  immediately  leaped  into  the  canoe,  and  seized 
a  paddle. 

Max  was  at  his  side  in  an  instant,  and  they 
glided  swiftly  across  the  pool. 

"  We'd  better  pull  her  up  high  and  dry,  and 
tip  her  over.  No  telling  when  we  may  get  back," 
said  Jack  feverishly,  as  they  landed.  He  had 
usurped  the  leadership,  and  he  had  also  seized 


260  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

the  rifle,  which  was  in  their  joint  custody.  If 
it  passed  through  his  mind  that  this  was  ungen 
erous,  he  did  not  choose  to  think  of  it.  "  Come 
on,"  he  reiterated,  after  they  had  disposed  of  the 
canoe,  and  he  plunged  into  the  underbrush. 

But  there  was  nothing  to  be  seen.  The  woods 
were  still.  At  first  they  were  dismayed;  then, 
remembering  their  former  experience,  they  set  to 
work  to  examine  the  ground,  which,  soft  after  the 
storm,  would  be  likely  to  reveal  tracks.  These 
were  found  after  a  search  of  a  few  minutes, 
and  followed  enthusiastically.  Carried  away  by 
excitement,  they  hurried  through  the  forest,  not 
knowing  whither,  and  careless  as  to  how  they 
should  get  back.  So  long  as  the  traces  of  the 
hunted  animal  could  be  discerned  on  moss  or 
leaves,  the  pursuers  thought  of  nothing  else. 
Their  energies  were  devoted  to  preserving  the 
trail,  and  finding  it  again  when  lost.  For  a 
moment  it  did  occur  to  Max  that  they  might  be 
losing  themselves,  and  he  gave  vent  to  the 
unavailing  regret,  — 

"  I  wish  we  had  an  axe  with  which  to  blaize 
some  of  these  trees." 


THE   RIVALS.  261 

u  If  only  we  find  the  bear,"  answered  Jack,  "  I 
don't  care  what  happens." 

"  Neither  do  I." 

On  they  trudged,  deep  into  thickets,  up  wooded 
knolls  and  down  into  morasses,  across  patches 
of  open  country  rough  with  charred  stumps,  and 
again  into  almost  gloomy  pine  groves  where  tall 
and  spreading  trees  did  their  best  to  shut  out  the 
blue  sky,  and  fungus  growths  ran  riot  at  their 
feet.  Jack  still  led  the  way,  and  Max  followed. 
Suddenly  our  hero  stopped  short,  and  exclaimed 
in  the  tone  of  one  aghast,  — 

"  Thunder  !     Have  you  any  cartridges  ?  " 

Max  turned  pale.     "  No,"  he  faltered. 

"  That's  a  pretty  mess  to  be  in,  isn't  it  ?  Idiot 
that  I  am,  I  left  them  in  the  canoe." 

"But  she's  loaded,"  said  Max. 

"  Yes,  we  can  have  one  shot,  anyway.  Feel  in 
your  pockets." 

Each  did  so,  but  the  search  was  fruitless.  The 
charge  in  the  gun  was  their  only  ammunition. 
Max  looked  at  his  watch.  It  was  half-past  three. 
They  had  been  tramping  more  than  two  hours. 

On  they  went,  until  the  slanting  rays  and  the 


262  JACK  IN  THE  BUSH. 

increasing  somberness  of  the  shade  warned  them 
that  darkness  was  not  far  off.  But  wThat  manly 
boy  would  the  prospect  of  a  night  in  the  woods 
without  food  or  shelter  appall,  if  such  a  prize  as 
Bruin  could  be  secured  thereby?  Yet  where 
was  Bruin  ?  Even  his  tracks  were  found  and 
lost  and  found  again  ;  and  still  no  glimpse  of  his 
brown  hide  was  caught,  no  growl  rewarded  the 
alert  ears  of  his  untiring  pursuers.  From  time  to 
time  Jack  shifted  the  rifle  from  one  shoulder  to  the 
other,  but  this  was  their  only  tribute  to  fatigue. 

Where  could  Bruin  be  ? 

They  reached  at  last  a  bosky  bourn,  as  a  poet 
would  say,  a  dell  deeply  shaded,  out  of  which  a 
quiet  brook  bubbled,  scarcely  perceptible  at  times, 
so  overgrown  was  it  with  green  things,  but  deep 
enough  to  dampen  the  ardor  of  one  who  trod 
therein  disdainfully.  The  trickling  water  was 
perceived  by  Jack  just  in  time  to  enable  him  to 
pause  upon  the  margin.  Thirst  fully  as  much  as 
discretion  bade  him  do  so.  He  fell  upon  his  knees 
and  lapped  the  cool  rill,  beast  fashion,  boy  fashion, 
and  dipped  his  perspiring  brow  twice  and  thrice. 
Max  did  the  same.  Then,  as  their  gaze  diverged 


THE   RIVALS.  263 

in  search  of  the  precious  trail,  it  was  seen  that 
Bruin  had  paused  likewise  to  drink,  and  that  his 
claws  had  left  their  imprint  in  such  a  fashion  as  to 
show  that  he  had  dallied  and  dawdled. 

"  He  may  be  round  here,"  said  Jack ;  and  while 
speaking  his  face  was  illumined  by  hope. 

The  tracks  were  on  both  banks"  of  the  spring. 
They  ran  along  it  in  one  direction  upon  the  hither 
side,  ran  back  again  still  farther  in  the  opposite 
way,  crossed  it  and  kept  close  to  the  edge  for  two 
hundred  yards,  until  opposite  the  point  from  which 
they  had  originally  started.  Here  Bruin  had 
pawed  up  the  ground  over  a  small  area,  from  mere 
sportiveness  apparently,  and  incident  to  wallowing 
to  some  extent  in  the  cool  water.  Then  the  foot 
prints  led  off  obliquely  through  the  wood  again. 

"He  has  rested,  so  we  must  have  gained  on 
him,"  said  Max. 

As  he  uttered  the  words,  a  dull  tearing  sound 
was  audible,  which  seemed  to  proceed  from  behind 
a  large  decayed  tree-trunk  a  short  distance  ahead. 
The  boys  listened  intently,  and  immediately  the 
noise  was  repeated,  resembling  that  produced  by 
rudely  rending  rotten  wood. 


264  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

"  It's  him,"  said  Jack,  no  less  oblivious  of  gram 
mar  than  the  monks  who  detected  the  Jackdaw  of 
Rheims.  "You  stay  here,"  he  continued,  "and 
I'll  reconnoiter." 

So  saying,  he  stalked  circuitously,  on  his  belly 
or  on  tiptoe,  from  tree  to  tree,  until  he  reached  a 
point  which  commanded  a  view  of  the  reverse  of 
the  decayed  trunk.  It  was  decayed,  certainly,  — 
rather,  it  was  hollow,  — and  standing  upright,  with 
teeth  buried  in  the  punk-like  timber  near  the 
top,  was  the  big  bear.  Bruin's  head  reached  just 
about  on  a  level  with  the  height  of  the  broken 
tree,  so  that  he  was  concealed  from  any  one 
standing  on  the  other  side.  At  his  feet  was  a 
mangled  piece  of  carcass,  which  looked  like  the 
remains  of  a  deer.  On  this  he  had  evidently 
been  lately  feeding.  What  was  he  doing?  In 
vestigating  to  discover  suitable  sleeping  quarters  ? 

Jack  was  in  no  state  of  mind  for  conjecture. 
He  squatted  down  behind  his  own  tree,  and  beck 
oned  vigorously  to  Max,  who  succeeded  in  joining 
him  without  giving  notice  of  their  presence  to  the 
enemy.  The  next  move  required  serious  consid 
eration.  Their  single  shot  spent  in  vain,  what 


THE    RIVALS.  265 

could  they  do?  From  where  they  were,  a  good 
marksman  ought  not  to  miss;  but,  on  the  other 
hand,  could  either  of  them  be  called  a  good  marks 
man?  Jack  did  not  believe  Max  to  be,  and  at 
heart  he  felt  grave  doubts  as  to  his  own  ability. 
But  something  must  be  done.  To  have  come 
such  a  distance,  and  not  to  make  an  attempt  to 
slay  so  grand  a  prize,  was  out  of  the  question. 
Jack  nervously  fingered  the  rifle,  and  went  so  far 
as  to  cock  it. 

"Are  you  sure  you  can  hit  him  from  here," 
Max  asked. 

"I'm  not  certain  exactly  which  is  a  mortal 
spot,"  answered  Jack  evasively. 

The  bear  was  still  busy  with  its  investigations. 
But  just  after  Jack's  remark  it  stopped  and  sniffed 
apprehensively. 

"  I  guess  he  smells  us." 

"He's  a  big  fellow,  isn't  he?  He  could  chew 
us  into  mince-meat  if  he  got  hold  of  us,"  said 
Max. 

"  I  don't  mean  to  let  him  get  hold  of  us.  See 
here,"  Jack  continued  resolutely,  "I'm  going  to 
try  to  creep  up  on  him,  and  get  close  enough  to 


266  JACK   IN  THE   BUSH. 

fire  before  lie  sees  me.  I  don't  dare  to  risk  it  from 
here." 

Thereupon  he  stepped  cautiously  from  behind 
the  tree,  and  began  to  advance.  The  distance 
from  him  to  the  bear  was  about  eighty  yards,  and 
there  was  nothing  but  open  space  between  them. 
The  ground,  however,  was  so  mossy,  that  by  tread 
ing  lightly  footfalls  need  not  be  audible.  With 
his  rifle  cocked  and  grasped  before  him,  ready  to 
aim  at  once  if  the  beast  should  turn,  Jack  trav 
ersed  successfully  half  the  space,  and  then  stood 
still.  To  come  to  very  close  quarters  with  such 
a  monster  would  be  scarcely  prudent,  if  he  could 
be  sure  of  doing  equal  execution  farther  off. 
Even  Jack's  stout  spirit  recognized  this.  With 
the  idea  of  testing  how  sure  an  aim  he  could  get 
at  the  present  distance,  he  dropped  upon  one 
knee. 

But  just  then  Bruin  began  to  move,  and  to  let 
himself  drop  upon  all  fours  by  slipping  down  the 
trunk;  not  apparently  because  suspicious,  —  for 
after  his  sniffing  fit  he  had  placidly  resumed  his 
labors,  —  but  doubtless  for  the  reason  that  he  had 
now  finished  them. 


THE   RIVALS.  267 

Jack  felt  himself  quivering  all  over.  He  took 
rigid  aim  at  the  shaggy  bulk ;  but  the  backing  and 
turning  process  which  Bruin  was  indulging  in  was 
confusing,  and  convinced  him  that  this  was  no 
moment  for  one  with  but  a  single  rifle-ball  at  his 
disposal  to  fire.  Round  wheeled  the  bear,  uncon 
scious  of  danger,  and  presenting  for  a  moment  a 
tempting  flank.  But,  though  Jack's  finger  half 
contracted  on  the  trigger,  he  could  not  satisfy 
himself  that  he  had  just  the  right  aim  before  it 
was .  too  late.  Then  he  beheld  facing  him  two 
yellow  eyes  arid  a  huge  snout,  and  a  mouth  which 
afforded  a  flashing  glimpse  of  white,  savage  teeth, 
as  the  brute,  apprised  of  peril,  opened  it  to  express 
its  feelings  in  a  blood-curdling  growl.  If  unwise 
to  fire  before,  it  was  surely  so  now,  with  his  enemy 
standing  head  on  in  such  a  way  that  an  experi 
enced  marksman  might  well  fail  to  hit  a  vital  spot. 
In  the  awful  moment  of  suspense  that  followed 
the  growl,  during  which  each  surveyed  the  other 
and  made  no  movement,  he  could  not  help  wishing 
that  he  had  fired  when  the  chance  had  been  given 
him  to  get  a  shot  at  the  creature's  broad  side. 
It  seemed  an  eternity  to  Jack.  The  yellow  eyes, 


268  JACK  IN   THE   BUSH. 

dilating  as  they  gazed,  were  fixed  upon  him  with 
ominous  scrutiny,  which  he,  remembering  that 
animals  are  said  to  quail  before  a  resolute  human 
stare,  endeavored  to  return.  There  came  another 
growl,  louder  and  more  menacing  than  the  first, 
and  Bruin  rose  upon  his  hind  legs  with  the 
evident  design  of  advancing  to  seize  the  rash 
intruder  on  his  privacy.  Jack  felt  that  the  time 
for  action  on  his  part  had  come.  Still  crouching, 
with  one  knee  on  the  ground,  he  put  the  rifle  to 
his  shoulder,  took  aim  at  the  heart,  and,  as  the 
bear  danced  angrily  forward,  pulled  the  trigger. 
He  heard  what  seem  to  him  half  a  scream  and 
half  a  roar.  He  sprang  to  his  feet,  confused  a 
little  by  the  report  and  smoke.  Was  Bruin  dead, 
he  asked  himself,  or  had  he  missed?  The  next 
moment  he  was  conscious  of  two  yellow  eyes 
become  balls  of  fire,  and  that  a  hairy  mass  was 
sweeping  down  upon  him.  He  sprang  back, 
putting  out  instinctively  his  gun  before  him  as 
a  barrier  between  him  and  destruction.  It  was 
torn  from  his  grasp  by  terrible  violence,  at  the 
same  moment  that  two  rows  of  white,  savage  teeth 
gleamed  cheek  by  jowl  with  him.  Seeking  to 


THE   RIVALS.  269 

escape,  Jack  threw  himself  away  from  them  with 

all  his  power ;   and  as  he  did  so  his  heels  caught 

• 
in  a  creeping  vine,  and  he  fell  heavily  backwards. 

"  Max ! "  he  screamed,  in  the  agony  of  despair ; 
and  at  the  moment  thoughts  of  home  and  his 
mother  and  all  the  panorama  of  his  past  life  rose 
before  him.  Even  in  that  brief  spell  he  had  time 
to  reflect  that  if  he  were  spared  he  would  try  to 
become  a  better  fellow. 

There  was  no  need  of  that  cry  to  warn  Max 
of  his  comrade's  frightful  peril.  Breathless  and 
trembling  with  excitement,  he  had  beheld  from 
his  post  behind  the  tree,  without  stirring,  the 
first  scenes  in  the  drama  which  led  to  the  bear's 
perception  of  his  enemy.  Instinctively,  as  he  saw 
Bruin  rise  from  the  earth  in  growling  majesty, 
he  had  clutched  and  unsheathed  his  knife,  and 
stepped  forward.  Why  did  not  Jack  fire  ?  Then 
had  come  the  flash,  cutting  short  his  quivering 
mood,  followed  by  a  shriek  of  pain.  Peering 
forward  in  the  full  belief — such  was  his  con 
fidence  in  Jack's  powers  —  that  the  bear  had 
fallen,  he  was  suddenly  confronted  by  a  sight 
that  thrilled  him  with  horror.  The  monster, 


270  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

instead  of  lying  prostrate  on  the  ground,  stood 
erect  and  rampant,  and  was  advancing,  apparently 
uninjured,  in  full  fury  upon  his  adversary. 

Max's  impulse  was  to  fly  for  self-preservation ; 
but,  though  he  drew  back,  the  fascination  of 
horror  rooted  his  feet.  Spell-bound,  as  it  were, 
he  saw  the  maddened  beast  snatch  at,  and  beat 
down,  the  interposed  rifle,  and  Jack  himself  fall 
over  backwards  in  a  futile  effort  to  escape,  utter 
ing  his  name  in  an  agonized  cry.  There  was 
no  time  for  indecision.  In  another  instant  the 
infuriated  animal  would  have  his  teeth  in  its 
vanquished  enemy's  throat.  With  a  swift  glance 
at  the  knife  in  his  hand,  the  blade  of  which, 
thanks  to  the  supervision  of  the  Colonel,  was  no 
apology  for  a  weapon,  but  a  long  sharp  piece  of 
steel,  Max  darted  forward  with  uplifted  arm,  and 
struck  the  bear  with  all  his  might  and  main 
before  the  creature,  too  devoted  to  its  desire  for 
vengeance  to  regard  a  new  antagonist,  could 
ward  off  the  blow  aimed  at  its  exposed  left 
breast.  Such  was  his  impetus,  that,  as  the  blade 
buried  itself,  he  was  brought  into  close  contact 
with  the  bear's  body,  then  fell  slipping  down 


THE    RIVALS.  271 

upon  both  knees,  still  stanchly  clinging  to  the 
handle  of  the  knife,  which  was  thus  twisted 
upwards.  Cut  to  the  quick,  Bruin  screamed 
again  with  anguish,  and  vibrated  his  paws,  and 
gnashed  his  teeth,  preliminary,  as  it  seemed,  to 
folding  this  new-found  foe  in  a  cruel  embrace. 
Max  felt  the  hot  breath,  and  shrank  in  dread. 
But  the  blow  had  been  well  placed.  Before  its 
purpose  could  be  carried  out,  the  fatally  wounded 
animal,  staggering  for  an  instant  while  its  strength 
ebbed,  fell  sideways  heavily,  dragging  Max  with 
it.  As  it  lifted  its  head  once  more  to  snap  at  its 
conqueror,  Jack,  who  had  got  upon  his  feet,  struck 
it  vigorously  a  series  of  blows  with  the  butt  of 
the  rifle.  Then,  with  a  great  gasp,  it  died.  To 
make  matters  sure,  Jack  bent  over  and  cut  its 
throat. 

"Are  you  hurt?"  he  said  earnestly,  as  Max 
picked  himself  up  in  a  bewildered  fashion. 

"I  don't  think  so.     Is  he  dead?" 

"  Yes  ;  but  your  jacket  is  torn.  Your  left  hand 
is  bleeding.  Did  he  bite  you  ?  " 

Max  glanced  at  his  sleeve,  from  underneath 
which  some  blood  was  trickling.  "I  think  he 


272  JACK  IN   THE   BUSH. 

grabbed  me  once  with  one  of  his  paws,  but  it 
doesn't  amount  to  much." 

"  O  Max,  Max,  you  saved  my  life!  If  it  hadn't 
been  for  you,  he'd  have  torn  me  to  pieces.  Take 
off  your  coat.  Oh,  I  am  so  sorry!" 

Max  obeyed,  smiling.  "  See,  it  is  nothing,"  he 
said,  exhibiting  his  bared  arm,  which  was  some 
what  scratched,  though  not  severely.  "  It  is  only 
on  the  surface.  How  I  am  trembling!  My  teeth 
are  chattering." 

"  I  should  think  they  would.  But  you  killed 
him.  You're  sure  of  the  rifle  now." 

Jack  had  taken  out  his  handkerchief,  and  was 
binding  it  round  the  wounded  arm.  "  I  thought 
I  was  a  goner,"  he  continued.  "  How  his  eyes 
glared !  You  are  trembling,  poor  fellow,  that's 
a  fact.  There,  that'll  hold,  I  guess.  I  wonder 
if  I  hit  him." 

They  both  stooped  down  to  examine  the  prize. 
The  bear  was  lying  in  a  pool  of  blood.  On 
rolling  him  over,  the  knife  appeared  sticking  out 
a  few  inches  below  the  heart,  and  there  wras 
another  wound  higher  up,  between  the  left  breast 
and  shoulder,  which  had  been  bleeding  profusely. 


THE   RIVALS.  273 

"I  did  hit  him,"  said  Jack.  "See,"  and  he 
pointed  to  the  orifice.  "  But  he  wouldn't  have 
died  from  that,  would  he  ?  " 

"I  don't  know,"  said  Max.  "I  know  very 
little  about  bears." 

"Except  how  to  kill  them.  O  Max,  it's  splen 
did  !  What  will  Colonel  Russell  say  ?  Tell  me, 
how  did  you  feel  ?  Did  you  think  you  were 
going  to  kill  him  ?  " 

"  I  didn't  have  much  time  to  think  about  any 
thing.  I  don't  understand  how  I  managed  to 
do  it." 

"Well,  you  did  it;  and  you  saved  my  life. 
The  blade  must  have  gone  straight  through  his 
heart.  Shall  I  pull  it  out  ?" 

"  If  you  like." 

It  was  no  very  easy  matter.  Jack  had  to  rest 
one  foot  on  the  body  of  the  bear,  and  haul  with 
a  vim.  "  You're  a  great  deal  stronger  than  I 
thought  you  were,  Max,"  he  said,  when  he  had 
drawn  it  out.  "  How  much  do  you  suppose  this 
fellow  weighs  ?  He's  fat  as  butter,  isn't  he  ?  You 
know  the  skin's  worth  a  lot,  Max,  if  it's  in  good 
condition.  I  do  hope  it  is." 


274  JACK  IN   THE  BUSH. 

"  I'm  glad  I  haven't  got  to  kill  him  over  again," 
said  Max  with  a  shiver,  receiving  and  returning 
to  its  sheath  the  knife  which  Jack  had  been  clean 
ing  on  the  grass. 

Jack  looked  at  him  in  rather  a  puzzled  manner. 
"  It'll  teach  us  one  thing,"  he  said,  "  and  that  is 
not  to  go  about  without  spare  cartridges  in  our 
pockets.  Golly ! "  he  added  suddenly.  "  How 
dark  it  is  getting  !  "  This  was  certainly  the  case. 
In  their  excitement  they  had  failed  to  notice  that 
the  sun  had  gone  down,  and  that  night  was  upon 
them. 

"  What  are  we  to  do  ?  "  said  Max. 

"  We  can't  find  our  way  back  until  to-morrow. 
We  shall  have  to  sleep  here  so  far  as  I  can  see. 
Have  you  the  least  idea  where  we  are  ?  " 

"  Not  the  least." 

"  We  must  have  tramped  a  good  many  miles,"' 
said  Jack.  "  I  hope  this  fellow's  mate  doesn't  live 
anywhere  near  here.  We'd  better  look  round  a 
little  before  we  turn  in." 

It  was  not  a  bad  place  for  a  night's  rest,  thanks 
to  the  velvety  moss  which  overspread  the  forest 
floor.  After  his  cautionary  speech,  Jack  had  gone 


THE   RIVALS.  275 

to  examine  the  hollow  tree,  but  found  no  signs 
of  other  bears.  Apparently  it  had  never  been 
occupied. 

"  How  about  a  fire  ? "  asked  Max,  as  Jack 
returned.  "  Have  you  any  matches  ?  " 

"  Jer-us-alem ! "  Jack  fumbled  anxiously  in  his 
pockets.  All  those  in  his  coat  arid  trousers  he 
turned  inside  out  to  no  purpose,  and  hope  was 
rapidly  on  the  wane,  when  his  face  suddenly 
became  radiant,  and  he  produced  from  his  vest- 
pocket  a  single  match. 

"  Hurrah !  "  he  exclaimed. 

"  What  luck  !  "  said  Max. 

"  One  bullet  and  one  match.  Fine  sportsmen 
we  are.  And  if  I  don't  turn  the  match  to  more 
account  than  I  did  the  bullet,  we  shall  have  to  go 
to  bed  supperless." 

"I  don't  see  but  that  we  shall  have  to,  any 
way,"  said  Max.  "  What  is  there  to  eat  ?  " 

"Eat?     The  bear,  of  course." 

Max  laughed.     "  I  had  forgotten  him." 

"Bear's  meat  is  first  rate,  T  believe.  It'll 
save  us  from  starving,  at  all  events.  We'd  have 
been  in  a  nice  pickle  if  we  had  not  killed  him, 


276  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

even  supposing  we  had  not  been  inside  of 
him." 

By  means  of  searching  a  little,  the  boys  col 
lected  a  considerable  quantity  of  twigs  and  bark 
that  would  be  serviceable  for  starting  a  fire,  includ 
ing  some  of  the  decayed  wood  torn  off  by  Bruin. 
They  came  across  a  number  of  logs  of  more  or 
less  size  within  a  small  radius,  so  that  ample  mate 
rial  for  a  blaze  was  assured,  provided  that  all  went 
well  at  the  start.  Jack  made  a  little  pile,  and, 
after  altering  its  arrangement  several  times,  said, 
holding  out  the  match,  — 

"  I  want  you  to  light  it,  Max." 

"No,  go  ahead." 

"I  shall  only  make  a  mess  of  it."  There  was  a 
decided  touch  of  ruefulness  in  Jack's  tone. 

But  Max  shook  his  head.  "I'd  rather  have  you 
light  it." 

"You  mustn't  blame  me,  then,  if  it  goes  out." 
So  saying,  Jack,  having  critically  ascertained  the 
direction  of  the  wind,  set  his  back  to  it,  and 
having  taken  off  his  hat,  and  dropped  it  in  front  of 
him,  seized  the  match  firmly,  and  struck  it  on  a 
stone.  Immediately  he  darted  it  within  the  hat, 


THE   RIVALS.  277 

and  bent  down  protectingly.  It  was  an  ordinary 
lucifer;  and  for  a  moment,  as  the  ignited  sulphur 
eat  its  way  down  the  head,  the  boys  held  their 
breath.  A  flicker  of  blue  fire  followed,  and  the 
wood  burst  into  flame.  Still  guarding  it  from  the 
wind,  Jack  conveyed  it  in  safety  underneath 
the  pile.  Here  there  was  another  critical  period. 
The  bark  and  leaves  seemed  an  eternity  in  catch 
ing.  Jack  held  the  blazing  match  until  his  fingers 
were  smartly  scorched,  then  tucked  the  remnant 
well  into  the  midst  of  the  heap.  But  it  was 
already  lighted,  as  the  crackling  of  the  dry  twigs 
and  the  curling  thread  of  smoke  attested. 

"  Good  enough,  Jack,"  said  Max. 

To  avoid  all  chances  of  a  catastrophe,  Jack 
fanned  with  his  hat  the  mounting  flame  until  the 
entire  pile  was  in  a  roar. 

"Now,  if  we're  careful,  she'll  burn  until  morn 
ing,"  he  said  triumphantly. 

The  friendly  blaze  attractively  lit  up  the  gloom 
of  night  that  had  closed  in  upon  them,  opening 
vistas  between  the  giant  trees,  bringing  into 
prominence  quaint  protuberances  on  their  sides, 
and  mammoth  toadstools  springing  from  their 


278  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

roots.  The  boys  were  glad  of  the  warmth,  too, 
and  stretched  out  their  hands  to  the  glow.  More 
over,  they  were  well  nigh  faint  with  hunger. 
Accordingly,  as  soon  as  the  fire  was  roaring  to  his 
entire  satisfaction,  Jack  gat  down  on  his  knees, 
and  attacked  the  carcass  with  his  knife.  As 
cooking  utensils  were  lacking,  the  only  feasible 
method  of  getting  a  square  meal  Avas  to  cut  strips 
of  meat,  and  spitting  them  on  twigs  expose  them 
to  the  heat  until  they  were  palatable.  The 
example  thus  set  was  speedily  followed  by  Max, 
and  the  experiment  proved  diverting,  as  well  as 
successful  in  the  way  of  appeasing  hunger.  The 
fat  meat  sizzled  until  it  frizzled,  giving  out  an 
odor  that  suggested  excellent  ham.  They  cut 
scraps  just  large  enough  to  be  popped  into  their 
mouths  when  cooked,  and  delectable  morsels  many 
of  them  were.  The  neighboring  brook  supplied 
them  with  limpid  water,  so  that  as  regards  food 
and  drink  they  felt  highly  content. 

When  their  appetites  were  sated,  they  set  to 
work  collecting  fire-wood,  which,  without  an  axe, 
required  diligent  wandering  with  torches.  But  a 
sufficient  quantity  for  the  night  was  procured  at 


THE   RIVALS.  279 

last.  Then  they  composed  themselves,  with  their 
backs  against  a  large  tree,  and  their  feet  extended 
towards  the  crackling  logs,  arid  discussed  their 
plans  for  sleeping.  In  the  absence  of  blankets  or 
anything  to  lie  on,  it  seemed  more  prudent  to 
divide  the  night  into  watches,  so  that  the  fire 
should  be  kept  alive.  Besides,  the  idea  that  one  of 
Bruin's  family,  or  some  other  dangerous  inhabitant 
of  the  forest,  might  be  within  prowling  distance, 
made  unguarded  slumber  seem  less  attractive  than 
usual.  By  sleeping  for  two  hours  at  a  time,  and 
being  waked  by  his  companion,  each  would  be 
able  to  get  a  fair  amount  of  unperturbed  rest. 

"  I  don't  suppose  there's  really  any  danger,  and 
I  don't  know  that  it  would  help  much  if  one  of 
us  were  awake,  in  case  any  creature  should  be 
inclined  to  attack  us,"  said  Max. 

"  We  have  our  knives,"  answered  Jack.  "  We 
should  have  a  chance  to  get  on  our  feet,  at  least. 
Besides,  the  big  fire,  and  one  of  us  sitting  up  with 
the  rifle  in  his  lap,  would  be  likely  to  keep  off  any 
single  animal.  He  wouldn't  know  that  the  gun 
wasn't  loaded." 

Careful  search  had  enabled  them,  while  collect- 


280  JACK   IN  THE   BUSH. 

ing  fuel,  to  discover  some  hemlock  boughs.  Of 
these  they  had  broken  off  a  sufficient  number  to 
make  their  couch  less  uncomfortable,  and  after 
freeing  them  from  dew  they  spread  them  on  what 
appeared  the  most  desirable  spot,  under  cover  of 
the  tree  and  close  to  the  fire.  Although  Jack  was 
anxious  to  give  Max  the  first  opportunity  to  sleep, 
Max  insisted  on  drawing  lots,  which  was  done  by 
tossing  up  a  cent,  —  a  very  useless  possession  to 
have  in  one's  pocket  at  such  a  time.  The  fates 
decided  in  accordance  with  Jack's  desire ;  and  he 
prepared  for  his  two  hours'  vigil  by  sitting  bolt 
upright,  with  his  back  to  the  tree,  ready  to  cry 
"  Who  comes  there  ? "  at  the  least  hint  of  peril. 
Max  was  asleep  a  moment  or  two  after  laying 
himself  down,  and  the  sentinel  was  left  with  his 
own  thoughts  and  the  sputtering  fire  as  compan 
ions.  At  first  his  senses  were  completely  on  the 
alert.  He  listened  intently,  imagining  every 
sound  an  indication  of  an  approaching  enemy,  and 
that  he  saw  animal  shapes  on  the  edge  of  the  circle 
which  divided  the  fire-light  from  the  darkness. 
But  the  forest  was  noticeably  still.  Only  occa 
sionally  did  the  cries  of  its  inmates  break  the 


THE  RIVALS.  281 

tranquillity,  and  there  was  no  river  to  murmur. 
The  snapping  of  the  logs  was  rather  a  spur  to 
drowsiness.  Indeed,  it  was  not  long  before  Jack 
found  his  most  serious  concern  to  be  keeping 
himself  awake.  He  had  literally  to  pinch  his  legs 
and  arms.  He  felt  too  comfortable  in  every 
position  he  took.  At  last  he  gave  a  great  start, 
realizing  that  there  had  been  a  gap  in  his  con 
sciousness.  The  fire  had  lost  some  of  its  brilliancy. 
How  long  had  he  slept?  He  looked  at  his  watch, 
and  found  that  it  must  have  been,  as  well  as  he 
could  judge,  ten  minutes.  This  was  terrible.  To 
sleep  at  one's  post !  What  if  a  watchful  wild-cat 
had  taken  advantage  of  these  ten  minutes  to  make 
a  dart  for  Max?  Could  he  ever  have  forgiven 
himself ! 

So  tragically  did  this  view  of  the  case  strike 
Jack,  that  he  sprang  up,  and  after  replenishing 
the  fire  saw  fit  to  promenade  in  front  of  it,  rather 
than  trust  himself  again  in  a  recumbent  position. 
This  exercise  served  to  drive  away  his  tendency 
to  sleep,  so  that  when  the  two  hours  had  elapsed 
he  concluded  not  to  wake  Max,  who  was  lying 
like  a  log.  It  was  a  glorious  night  overhead. 


282  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

The  moon  had  not  yet  risen,  but  the  stars  were 
clear  and  brilliant.  He  rehearsed  the  events  of 
the  day,  and  trembled  once  more  at  his  own 
narrow  escape.  Somehow  his  feeling  toward  his 
companion  had  completely  changed.  He  felt 
kindly,  tenderly,  in  fact,  toward  him,  and  envied 
him  not  at  all  his  certainty  of  winning  the  rifle. 
Jack  did  not  put  these  sentiments  into  language, 
but  he  was  vividly  conscious  of  them.  Such  a 
place  and  time  were  well  adapted  for  bringing 
him  face  to  face  with  what  he  was,  and  giving  the 
better  part  of  his  nature  a  chance  to  assert  itself. 

The  breaking  apart  of  a  large  log,  which  let  the 
pile  resting  upon  it  fall  into  the  fire  with  a  loud 
sputter,  disturbed  his  reverie,  and  caused  Max  to 
sit  up  straight  and  look  at  his  watch. 

"  Why,  Jack,  it  is  one  o'clock !  You  were  to 
have  waked  me  at  twelve." 

"  Is  it  ?  You  looked  so  comfortable  I  couldn't 
bear  to  disturb  you." 

"  But  that  isn't  fair,"  said  Max.  "  You  are  just 
as  tired  as  I,  and  need  your  sleep  just  as  much." 

"I'm  not  a  bit  sleepy."  Jack  squatted  down 
beside  him,  and  looked  pensively  at  the  flames. 


THE   RIVALS.  283 

"  Have  you  heard  or  seen  anything?  " 

uNo.v 

"  Lie  down,  then,  and  shut  your  eyes,  or  you'll 
be  used  up  to-morrow.  We've  got  a  hard  tramp 
before  us,  lugging  that  bear." 

Jack  made  no  answer  for  a  moment;  then  he 
said,  "I  want  to  beg  your  pardon,  Max,  before 
I  go  to  sleep." 

"  For  what,  Jack  ?  " 

"For  everything;  for  —  well,  you  know  how 
I've  treated  you  ever  since  we  left  home.  I'd  an 
idea  at  the  start  that  you  were  —  er  —  a  tender 
foot"— 

"A  what?" 

"  A  tenderfoot  —  er  —  sort  of  soft,  and  not  very 
manly.  Some  of  the  others  thought  so,  too.  But 
you're  the  manliest  and  pluckiest  of  all  of  us,  and 
the  most  of  a  sportsman,  though  you've  not  been 
used  to  roughing  it  as  most  of  us  have.  Besides, 
I'd  no  more  right  than  you  to  the  first  shot  at  the 
bear.  I  stole  it.  And  I  wish  to  tell  you  how 
sorry  I  am  for  being  mean  and  disagreeable,  and 
I  hope  you'll  forgive  me." 

Once  started,   Jack  spoke  fluently,  as  though 


284  JACK   IN   THE   IJUSIl. 

the  words  were  the  genuine  overflow  of  his 
heart. 

"  Forgive  you,  Jack  ?  Of  course  I  will,  if  I've 
anything  to  forgive,"  said  Max  pleasantly.  "  But 
you  were  all  of  you  right  about  me.  I  am  a  good 
deal  of  a  tenderfoot ;  at  any  rate,  I  was  when 
I  started.  I  know  nothing  about  games  or  any 
thing  that  the  rest  of  you  are  interested  in ; 
and  when  I  saw  you  all  so  strong  and  active  and 
clever,  it  mortified  me  terribly.  I  saw  you 
considered  me  like  a  girl,  and  I'll  admit  that  some 
of  your  jests  made  me  feel  badly ;  but  I  never 
thought  of  blaming  you  for  them,  because  I  knew 
they  were  deserved.  But  they  spurred  me  on  to 
try  to  become  more  manly,  and  I'm  glad  if  you 
think  I've  succeeded.  As  for  the  bear,  it  was  an 
accident.  I  had  to  do  something,  for  the  next 
moment  he  would  have  been  eating  you.  But 
I  would  have  given  a  good  deal  at  the  time 
if  I  could  have  run  away." 

"  It  isn't  only  the  bear,  it's  everything,"  replied 
Jack  seriously.  "  You  were  ever  so  plucky  in 
that  race  the  other  day,  and  sensible,  too.  If  I'd 
been  willing  to  rest  as  you  did,  I  might  have 


THE   KIVx\LS.  285 

passed  you,  and  I  knew  that  that  was  the  proper 
thing  to  do,  for  I've  been  used  to  rowing ;  but  I  was 
obstinate,  and  so  I  got  beaten.  I've  been  thinking, 
too,  that  I  could  tire  you  out  since  we  came  up 
to  the  Narrows ;  and  yet  even  if  I'd  been  able  to, 
which  I  haven't,  it  wouldn't  have  proved  any 
thing  except  that  I  was  a  bully." 

"You  judge  yourself  too  harshly,  Jack,"  Max 
interposed. 

"  No,  I  don't,"  he  answered  impetuously. 
"  What  have  I  to  boast  of,  anyway  ?  I'm  tolerably 
strong  and  athletic,  and  all  that,  and  I  can  row 
and  play  ball  better  than  the  average ;  but  that's 
the  whole.  And  only  think  what  you  can  do, 
Max.  You  are  a  good  scholar  "  — 

"  How  do  you  know  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Holt  says  so.  And  you  can  speak  no  end 
of  languages,  and  are  fond  of  books.  I  make 
believe  to  despise  books  and  poetry  and  such 
things ;  but  I'm  not  so  big  a  fool  as  not  to  envy 
those  who  are  fond  of  them."  Jack  spoke  as 
if  he  were  glad  to  make  a  clean  breast  of  his 
shortcomings. 

"  But  you  can  do  so   many   things   I   cannot," 


286  JACK  IN  THE  BUSH. 

said  Max.  "  Besides,  it  would  be  very  easy  for 
you  to  learn  in  a  short  time  all  I  know  about 
books." 

"  Could  I  ? "  asked  Jack  earnestly. 

"  I  am  sure  you  could.  And  it  was  very  kind 
of  you  to  speak  so  to  me,  Jack.  I  think  we 
shall  always  be  friends." 

"  There's  my  hand  on  it,"  said  Jack,  extending 
his  brown  fingers,  which  cordially  returned  the 
hearty  pressure  they  received. 

After  this  the  boys  were  silent,  and  presently 
Jack  dropped  over  on  his  side  and  fell  asleep. 
Max  watched  patiently  until  two  hours  were 
passed,  then  waked  him.  By  this  time  there  were 
indications  of  approaching  dawn,  which  cheered 
their  hearts,  and  prompted  Max  to  suggest  that 
they  dispense  with  the  vigil.  Jack,  however, 
insisted  on  mounting  guard  again.  At  first  he 
continued  his  promenade,  and  took  further  pre 
cautions  against  being  caught  napping  by  building 
up  the  fire ;  but  as  the  light  increased,  beginning 
to  feel  weary,  he  concluded  to  sit  down  for  a 
while.  Although  by  struggling  manfully  he  suc 
ceeded  in  keeping  awake  until  it  was  broad  day, 


THE   RIVALS.  287 

his  capacity  for  resisting  temptation  became  ex 
hausted  at  this  point,  and  at  five  o'clock  any 
stray  animal  might  have  helped  itself  to  either 
of  the  young  hunters  without  fear  of  interruption 
from  the  other.  But  if  any  such  approached, 
it  chose  to  confine  its  proceedings  to  inspection  ; 
for  they  slept  long  and  well,  until  the  sunbeams 
climbed  up  behind  the  tree-tops,  and  darted  into 
their  eyes.  Jack  was  the  first  to  awake,  which  he 
did  with  a  great  start,  realizing  at  once  what 
he  had  been  guilty  of.  It  was  nine  by  his  watch. 
With  a  sheepish  air,  which  was  tempered,  how 
ever,  by  perceiving  Max  still  motionless,  he  arose 
from  his  hard  couch,  and,  after  bathing  his  face 
and  hands  in  the  brook,  built  up  anew  the 
fire,  and  began  to  prepare  breakfast,  which, 
of  course,  would  have  to  consist  of  more  strips  of 
bear's  meat.  By  the  time  that  a  number  of  these 
were  duly  sizzling,  his  companion  regained  con 
sciousness,  but  revealed  so  bewildered  and  woe 
begone  a  visage  when  the  truth  dawned  upon 
him,  that  Jack  burst  into  laughter. 

"Why,  Jack,  it's  nearly  half-past   nine.     Why 
didn't  you  wake  me  ?  " 


288  JACK  IN   THE   BUSH. 

Max's  tone  betrayed  so  much  mortification, 
that  Jack  confessed,  after  pretending  for  a  few 
moments  that  he  had  been  awake  since  daybreak, 
the  real  state  of  the  case.  Then  they  had  another 
hearty  laugh  together  over  their  joint  incapacity 
as  sentinels ;  though  Jack  declared  himself  really 
the  one  at  fault  in  that  he  had  failed  to  call 
Max  at  the  end  of  the  third  two  hours  because 
asleep  himself.  But  Max  insisted  that  there 
was  no  excuse  for  his  having  slept  six  hours 
on  a  stretch. 

The  boys  were  not  quite  so  enthusiastic  over 
the  breakfast  as  they  had  been  over  their  supper. 
Perhaps  now  that  the  novelty  of  dropping  bits 
of  meat  into  their  mouths  from  a  twig  had  worn 
off,  they  would  have  been  willing  to  return  to 
more  civilized  methods.  Nevertheless,  they  ate 
enough  to  satisfy  hunger,  and  then  rose  the 
important  question  as  to  how  what  remained  of 
Bruin  should  be  transported  to  where  they  had 
left  the  canoe.  But,  to  begin  with,  neither  felt 
by  any  means  ready  to  guarantee  that  he  would 
be  able  to  find  the  canoe,  or  indeed  the  river. 
Beyond  the  fact  that  they  had  crossed  the  brook, 


THE   RIVALS.  289 

they  were  considerably  in  the  dark  to  as  the 
route  by  which  they  had  reached  their  present 
encampment.  To  retrace  their  steps  by  means 
of  the  bear's  tracks,  suggested  itself  as  a  shrewd 
plan,  but  on  investigation  these  seemed  to  have 
disappeared.  Discouraged  thereby,  they  con 
cluded,  after  lugging  for  a  few  hundred  yards 
the  bear's  body,  suspended  between  them  from  a 
pole  which  they  had  picked  up,  to  leave  the 
carcass,  and  return  for  it  later.  So,  as  best  they 
could,  they  scooped  out  a  hole  with  their  knives, 
into  which  they  put  Bruin,  covering  him  with 
leaves,  moss,  and  stones.  They  had  already 
cooked,  and  stuffed  into  their  pockets,  a  suffi 
cient  portion  of  the  flesh  to  save  them  from 
fasting  during  the  day.  Then  they  marked  a 
tree  in  a  peculiar  fashion,  to  indicate  the  neigh 
borhood  of  his  resting-place,  and  started  on  their 
journey,  blaizing  the  forest  to  right  and  left  from 
time  to  time  as  they  proceeded. 
•  Jack  had  a  general  idea  of  where  the  river 
lay  with  regard  to  the  points  of  the  compass,  as 
indicated  by  the  sun,  and  they  kept  along  in 
accordance  with  his  admonitions.  But  the  wav 


290  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

seemed  wholly  unfamiliar  to  them,  as  indeed  it 
must,  unless  they  had  been  fortunate  enough  to 
return  by  exactly  the  same  course  that  they  had 
come,  which  was  improbable,  if  for  no  other 
reason,  because  they  had  traveled  in  a  zigzag 
manner  while  pursuing  the  bear.  Although  there 
was  something  ludicrous  to  them  in  the  situa 
tion,  the  prospect  of  wandering  about  the  woods 
indefinitely  was  by  no  means  agreeable,  and 
there  was  no  absolute  certainty  that  they  were 
not  getting  deeper  and  deeper  into  the  forest 
every  minute.  A  glimpse  of  two  caribou  served 
only  to  increase  their  fears,  as  they  had  been 
told  that  deer  were  rarely  met  with  near  the 
river.  At  noon,  it  became  hot.  They  stopped 
for  luncheon,  feeling  completely  at  a  loss  as  to 
their  whereabouts.  Jack  exercised  his  lungs  by 
holloaing  a  number  of  times  out  of  sheer  des 
peration,  thinking,  perhaps,  that  by  some  lucky 
chance  they  might  have  wandered  within  hear 
ing  of  the  rest  of  the  party.  They  hoped,  too, 
by  listening,  to  detect  the  rush  of  the  river,  but 
the  woods  were  as  still  as  the  grave. 

"  It  doesn't  matter  much  which  way  we  go.    It's 


THE   RIVALS.  291 

all  luck  where  we  come  out,"  said  Jack,  when 
they  were  ready  to  start  again. 

"Not  if  your  theory  about  the  sun  is  correct. 
It  provokes  me  to  think  that  I  haven't  the  least 
idea  as  to  whether  it  was  shining  on  our  backs  or 
in  our  faces  yesterday  afternoon." 

"  I  thought  I  was  sure  about  it.  But  you  see 
where  we  are.  It  has  all  the  look  of  the  forest 
primeval.  Hollo-o-o-o-a,"  Jack  cried  again  vocif 
erously.  "  No  use,"  he  continued,  after  listening 
intently  for  some  minutes.  "We  sha'n't  starve, 
anyway,  for  another  twenty-four  hours;  and  the 
best  way  is  to  leg  it  as  fast  as  we  can,  and  trust 
to  coming  out  somewhere." 

Acting  on  this  suggestion,  they  tramped  along 
in  a  straight  line  for  another  two  hours,  Jack 
leading  the  way.  They  traversed  whatever  lay  in 
the  path,  be  it  thicket,  bramble,  bush,  or  morass. 
Their  clothes  were  fuzzy  and  prickly  with  burrs 
and  briars.  If  it  had  been  of  any  use  to  complain, 
they  would  have  acknowledged  themselves  foot 
sore  and  weary.  But  to  all  appearances,  when 
they  came  to  a  halt  once  more,  in  order  to  recover 
breath  and  listen  for  the  river,  they  were  just  as 


292  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

far  from  it  as  ever.  The  sun  was  getting  down 
again  behind  the  tree-tops,  and  the  vistas  ahead 
looked  gloomy. 

"  What  had  we  better  do  ?  "  said  Max. 

"Keep  on,  it  seems  to  me.  It  means  kill  or 
cure." 

"I  am  beginning  to  be  reminded  of  the  babes 
in  the  wood.  4  The  robins  so  red  brought  straw 
berry  leaves,  and  over  them  spread.' '' 

"  I  don't  believe  there  are  either  robins  or 
strawberry  leaves  in  this  wilderness.  Wild-cats 
and  toadstools  will  do  our  business.  Are  you 
ready  to  go  on  ?  " 

"  Oui,  monsieur." 

Lightly  as  they  seemed  to  regard  their  plight,  it 
was  undeniably  getting  serious.  By  husbanding 
the  supply  of  bear's  meat,  they  would  have  food 
enough  for  the  night  and  part  of  another  day ;  but 
supposing  that  they  were  tramping  in  the  wrong- 
direction,  might  they  not  go  on  indefinitely  with 
out  arriving  anywhere  until  they  should  literally 
starve  ?  Since  they  had  journeyed  in  vain  for  one 
day,  might  .they  not  do  the  same  for  another  and 
still  another  ? 


THE   RIVALS.  293 

If  such  thoughts  occurred  to  the  boys,  they 
did  not  put  them  into  words,  but  still  struggled 
onward,  keeping  up  their  spirits,  as  the  afternoon 
shadows  deepened,  with  cheerful  talk. 

"  Hard  luck,  wasn't  it,  that  we  should  get  within 
range  of  those  caribou,  and  not  be  able  to  fire  at 
them  ?  "  said  Jack.  "  One  might  trot  up  and  peep 
into  the  barrel  of  this  gun  with  perfect  safety,  if 
he  only  knew  it." 

"We  should  have  had  to  bury  them,  though, 
just  as  we  did  the  bear,  if  we  had  got  them.  For 
my  part,  I  feel  more  inclination  for  a  swallow  of 
water  than  for  anything  else  just  now." 

"  Then  gratify  your  wish,"  said  Jack.  Curiously 
enough,  as  Max  spoke,  he  had  caught  sight  of  a 
small  brook,  the  first  that  they  had  met  with  since 
morning.  After  delaying  here  long  enough  to 
slake  their  thirst,  and  bathe  their  faces,  they 
plunged  forward  again,  intent  upon  making  as 
much  progress  as  they  could  before  dark.  Half 
an  hour  later  Jack  suddenly  stopped  short,  and 
called  attention  to  a  plant,  one  branch  of  which 
was  hanging  down  half  broken,  as  though  some 
one  had  stepped  upon  it. 


294  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

"  Who  could  have  done  that  ?  "  he  asked. 

Together  they  examined  it  by  the  twilight.  "  It 
must  have  been  done  by  one  of  us  yesterday," 
said  Max  presently,  in  answer  to  the  question. 

"  Whoever  did  it  must  have  been  coining 
from  there,"  continued  Jack,  indicating  a  direction 
almost  at  right  angles  with  that  in  which  they  had 
been  travelling ;  "  for,  you  see,  it  is  bent  down  this 
way." 

"  You  clever  creature  !  That  seems  likely,  now 
that  you  mention  it,  but  I  should  never  have 
thought  of  it  myself." 

Jack  had  stepped  beyond  the  crushed  plant,  and 
was  endeavoring  to  make  out  if  there  were  any 
other  similar  indications ;  but  he  could  find  none, 
and  it  was  too  dark  to  decipher  footprints. 

"We'd  better  follow  this  for  a  little,"  he  said. 
"  It  will  do  no  harm,  anyway. 

Spurred  by  hope,  they  had  tramped  on  in  this 
new  direction  for  about  fifteen  minutes,  when  Jack 
stopped  again,  and  exclaimed  eagerly,  — 

"  Listen,  Max,  do  you  hear  anything  ?  " 

Max  obeyed.  "It  sounds  like  the  rush  of 
water." 


THE  RIVALS.  295 

"  It's  the  river !  " 

"  Hooray ! " 

"  We're  not  out  of  the  woods  yet,"  said  Jack, 
whom  adversity  was  making  cautious.  But  he 
dashed  forward  at  a  lively  jog,  nevertheless,  stop 
ping  every  few  moments  to  listen  anew. 

More  and  more  distinct  grew  the  sound,  chan 
ging  hope  to  security,  until  at  last,  when  they  had 
run  quarter  of  a  mile,  their  eyes  were  delighted 
by  a  glimpse  that  set  their  hearts  bounding  still 
faster. 

"It's  the  Falls!"  they  exclaimed  together  in 
amazement,  as  they  came  out  on  the  bank. 

So  it  certainly  was.  A  hundred  yards  below 
where  they  were  standing  the  picturesque  cascade 
was  leaping  and  tumbling  into  the  river.  They 
could  only  see  its  crest,  but  they  had  no  doubt  as 
to  its  identity.  The  last  glow  of  the  sunset 
lingered  on  the  water,  and  the  sky  was  radiant 
with  promise  for  the  morrow.  The  boys,  glad  to 
be  free  from  uncomfortable  fears  of  being  lost,  sat 
down  on  a  stump  to  enjoy  the  tranquil  scene.  It 
was  half-past  eight  o'clock.  Another  quarter  of 
an  hour's  walk  down  stream  would  bring  them  to 


296  JACK  IN  THE   BUSH. 

where  they  had  left  their  canoe,  and  it  seemed 
advisable  to  pass  the  rapid  below  the  Narrows 
before  it  became  pitch  dark.  They  found  sitting 
down,  however,  so  agreeable,  that  the  dusk  was 
nearly  darkness  before  they  got  upon  their  legs 
again.  They  were  in  the  best  of  spirits.  Such 
an  adventure  as  theirs  they  felt  to  be  one  that 
would  make  the  others  green  with  envy. 


INJUN  FALLS."  297 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

"  INJUN   FALLS." 

JACK  and  Max,  with  the  day's  experience  fresh 
in  mind,  took  care  not  to  lose  sight  of  the  river  as 
they  pursued  their  way  to  reach  the  canoe.  By 
the  time  they  were  close  to  where  they  had  left  it, 
night  had  overspread  the  sky.  The  stars  were 
burning  quietly  and  with  no  especial  lustre,  so 
that  it  was  pretty  dark.  But  owing  to  the 
peculiar  shape  of  the  pool,  which  widened  out  so 
noticeably  from  the  jaws  of  "  the  narrow  place," 
as  the  guides  were  wont  to  call  it,  they  found  no 
difficulty  in  fixing  the  spot.  There  lay  the  canoe, 
bottom  up,  just  as  she  had  been  left  by  them 
more  than  twenty-four  hours  before. 

Jack,  who  was  in  advance,  had  stooped  down 
to  examine  her,  when  Max  touched  him  on  the 
shoulder,  whispering  at  the*  same  moment, — 

"  Do  you  see  that  ?  " 


298  JACK  IN  THE  BUSH. 

Jack  looked.  At  the  lower  end  of  the  pool, 
close  to  the  other  bank,  was  what  seemed  to  be  a 
low,  flickering  light.  "  What  do  you  make  it  out 
to  be?"  he  asked,  in  a  tone  of  awe.  "It's  too 
small  for  a  fire.  See,  it  is  moving  this  way." 

As  Jack  spoke,  the  mysterious  manifestation 
glided  a  few  feet  out  into  the  pool,  and  then 
immediately  darted  back  again. 

"  They  may  be  hunting  for  us,"  said  Max. 

"But  they  wouldn't  have  missed  us  so  soon. 
Besides,  why  should  any  one  be  prowling  round 
at  night  in  that  fashion,  if  they  were  ?  There  are 
no  signs  of  a  camp  on  the  shore," 

"  You  remember  what  I  saw  the  other  night  ?  " 
said  Max,  after  a  pause. 

"  You  mean  the  canoe  ?  "  asked  Jack,  in  rather 
an  uneasy  tone.  "  What  of  that  ?  " 

"Nothing  —  only  —  if  there  is  such  a  thing  as 
an  ignis  fatuus  "  — 

"A  what?" 

"  An  ignis  fatuus  —  will-of-the-wisp  —  whatever 
one  chooses  to  call  it.  I  don't  believe  there  are 
such  things.  And  yet,  what  can  that  be  ?  " 

"  It  isn't  imagination,  anyway,"  whispered  Jack 


"INJUN  FALLS."  299 

decidedly.  "A  light's  a  light,  and  we  both  can 
see  it  with  our  two  eyes." 

"  Would  it  do  to  hail  it  ?  " 

"No,  no.  Let's  wait  and  see  what  it  does. 
Look,  it  is  moving  again." 

The  boys  had  instinctively  crouched  down 
behind  the  boat,  so  as  to  see  without  being  seen 
in  case  of  necessity.  The  strange  illumination 
now  began  to  move  steadily  forward,  until  it 
reached  the  middle  of  the  pool ;  then  of  a  sudden 
it  flashed  up,  seeming  to  be  lifted  from  the  water. 

"  Je  —  hos  —  aphat !  "  whispered  Jack,  in  rather 
a  relieved  tone.  "  I  believe  it's  a  torch,  and  that 
there's  a  real  canoe  with  some  one  in  it." 

"  Who  can  it  be  ?  " 

"  Give  it  up.     Don't  you  see  the  outline  ?  " 

"  Yes,  yes." 

Jack's  explanation  was  evidently  the  correct 
one.  The  increased  brightness  of  the  flame 
disclosed  the  distinct  though  dusky  shadow  of 
a  skiff,  controlled  by  a  single  figure.  Obviously 
the  individual,  whoever  he  was,  had  just  fastened 
the  torch  at  the  bow  in  such  a  manner  that  it 
extended  over  the  water.  The  eyes  of  the  boys, 


300  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

grown  more  accustomed  to  the  night,  could 
discern  him  now  standing  up  and  peering  into 
the  pool.  Before  him  he  held  something  which 
they  assumed  to  be  a  paddle.  What  could  it 
mean?  What  was  this  mysterious  individual 
doing  in  the  middle  of  the  river  at  such  an 
hour. 

The  wonder  which  was  holding  them  mute  was 
broken  by  Jack. 

"Why  didn't  we  think  of  it  before?  It's  Pete 
Labouisse,  of  course." 

"  I  shouldn't  be  surprised,"  whispered  Max,  in 
a  tone  of  conviction.  "  He's  after  fish,  I  suppose." 

"He's  flambeauing,  and  it's  against  the  law. 
I  wish  the  Colonel  were  here." 

Just  then  they  perceived  a  swirl  on  the  surface 
of  the  water  underneath  the  flame  of  the  torch, 
and  simultaneously  the  figure  in  the  canoe  darted 
forward  the  implement  in  his  hand.  There 
followed  a  vigorous  splashing,  and  they  were  able 
to  distinguish  that  a  huge  salmon  was  being  lifted 
over  the  gunwale. 

"  The  villain  !  "  exclaimed  Jack.  "  He  speared 
the  poor  creature.  Did  you  see  ?  " 


"HE'S   FLAMBEAUING,   AJSI>   IT'S   AGAINST   THE   LAW."— P    300. 


"INJUN  FALLS."  303 

"  Isn't  there  any  way  to  prevent  him  ?  "  asked 
Max  indignantly. 

"  We  could  frighten  him  off  for  the  time  being. 
But  wouldn't  it  be  better  to  wait  and  see  if 
we  can't  get  even  with  him  somehow?"  The 
suggestion,  though  vague,  was  so  far  satisfactory 
to  Max  that  he  replied  with  earnestness,  — 

"  If  only  we  could  !  " 

The  noise  of  further  splashing  was  audible. 
The  Indian  had  taken  another  fish.  His  system 
was  simple  enough.  The  vivid  reflection  of  the 
torch  in  the  black  water  lured  the  poor  salmon 
up  from  the  depths,  and  as  they  reached  the 
surface  his  lance  was  hurled  with  deadly  precision 
into  their  brains.  While  the  boys  sat  straining 
their  eyes  in  following  his  movements,  Pete 
continued  his  operations  with  success,  filching 
salmon  after  salmon  from  the  pool,  over  which 
he  glided  noiselessly.  This  went  on  for  more 
than  an  hour.  Nursing  their  wrath,  and  yet 
uncertain  what  to  do,  Jack  and  Max  watched  him 
without  interruption.  When  the  pool  had  become 
thoroughly  stirred  up  by  the  futile  struggles  of 
the  victims  to  escape,  the  marauder  paddled  to  the 


304  JACK   IX   THE   BUSH. 

opposite  bank  again.  After  remaining  there  some 
little  time,  —  apparently,  as  well  as  the  boys 
could  make  out,  for  the  purpose  of  depositing 
his  catch,  —  he  sallied  forth  again,  and  passed  on 
up  river. 

"  He's  going  for  the  other  pools,  I  guess,"  said 
Jack. 

The  boys  now  held  a  council  of  war.  The  first 
idea  that  occurred  to  them  was  to  get  possession 
of  the  salmon  already  slaughtered,  in  case  Pete 
had  left  them  on  the  other  side.  Therefore  they 
launched  their  canoe  as  noiselessly  as  possible, 
and,  after  waiting  until  the  glimmer  of  the  torch 
had  vanished  in  the  distance,  stole  across  the  pool. 
On  reaching  the  opposite  bank,  they  disembarked 
again,  and  finding  nothing  on  the  shore  began  to 
grope  among  the  bushes.  It  was  very  dark,  and 
their  lack  <3f  matches  was  bothersome.  But  at 
last  Max  gave  a  low  cry  of  satisfaction.  He  had 
discovered  the  whole  hoard  of  fish  underneath  the 
shadow  of  a  pine,  and  covered  with  alder-bushes. 
With  eager  fingers  the  boys  took  possession  of 
them,  and  brought  them  down  to  the  water's  edge. 
There  were  fifteen  salmon  in  all.  Jack  and  Max 


''INJUN   FALLS."  305 

were  bitter  in  their  denunciation  of  the  cruel 
butchery. 

"  What  perfect  beauties  !  "  said  Max.  "  See  — 
see  this  fellow;  and  here's  one  larger  still." 

"Regular  whales.  Those  two  must  weigh  at 
least  forty  pounds  each.  It's  a  diabolical  out 
rage." 

"  It's  murder  —  midnight  assassination  ;  that's 
the  name  for  it.  There  are  three  or  four  fish 
among  them  bigger  than  anything  we've  caught 
yet." 

"I  know  it,"  groaned  Jack.  "And  we  might 
have  caught  them  to-morrow.  What  let's  do  with 
them  ?  " 

This  was  a  serious  question,  and  required 
thought. 

"  Suppose  we  run  them  down  in  the  canoe,  and 
stow  them  in  the  icehouse,"  Max  suggested.  "  Pete 
would  never  dare  to  come  after  them  there." 

Jack  assented  to  this  plan.  The  prospect  of 
reaching  camp  again  added  attraction  to  the 
scheme,  for,  though  excited,  they  were  well-nigh 
worn  out  with  fatigue  and  lack  of  sleep.  The}7 
had  eaten  nothing  but  cold  bear's  meat  all  day. 


306  JACK   IN  THE   BUSH. 

"  How  good  a  slice  of  one  of  those  fellows  would 
taste  ! "  said  Max,  as  they  were  lifting  the  noble 
fish  into  the  canoe. 

"  I  wouldn't  eat  one  to  —  to  save  myself  from 
starvation,"  exclaimed  Jack  fiercely.  "  They've 
had  no  chance  for  their  lives,  poor  creatures,  and 
we've  no  right  to  eat  them." 

"I  ought  to  have  thought  of  that.  What, 
though,  can  be  done  with  them,  if  we  don't  eat 
them  ?  "  continued  Max,  after  a  moment. 

This  was  rather  a  poser.  "  Bury  them  —  or 
burn  them.  I  don't  mean  to  eat  them,  anyway," 
said  Jack,  by  way  of  settling  the  matter  so  far  as 
he  was  concerned. 

The  fifteen  fish  made  a  heavy  freight;  and 
running  the  rapid  at  the  Narrows  was  a  decidedly 
ticklish  affair,  requiring  the  utmost  caution  on 
the  part  of  Jack,  who  was  in  the  bow,  to  avoid 
disaster.  This  passed  in  safety,  their  course  down 
river  was  comparatively  smooth,  though  necessa 
rily  slow  on  account  of  the  darkness.  The  boys 
chuckled  gaily  at  the  thought  of  the  anger  and 
astonishment  which  the  half-breed  would  experi 
ence  on  discovering  the  loss  of  his  splendid  mess 


"INJUN  FALLS."  307 

of  fish.  On  arrival  at  the  camp,  having  hastily 
consigned  their  cargo  to  the  ice-house,  and  taken 
off  the  edge  of  hunger  by  means  of  pilot  bread  and 
some  pieces  of  chocolate,  they  had  to  consider 
what  their  next  move  should  be ;  for  they  were 
agreed  to  balk  Pete,  if  possible,  of  his  entire 
night's  haul.  All  sense  of  fatigue  was  forgotten. 
On  reflection,  the  most  sure  plan  seemed  to  be 
that  they  should  pole  up  again  to  the  pool  at  the 
Narrows,  in  the  hope  of  forestalling  Pete's  arrival. 
They  could  there  lie  in  ambush,  and  be  governed 
in  their  actions  by  circumstances.  Accordingly 
they  set  off,  well  supplied  this  time  with  car 
tridges,  matches,  and  food,  so  as  to  be  prepared 
for  every  emergency.  When  they  reached  the 
entrance  to  the  pool,  there  was  no  appearance  of 
the  torch  or  canoe.  All  was  dark  and  still. 
Stealing  cautiously  along  the  shore,  the  boys 
landed  at  the  spot  where  they  had  discovered  the 
salmon,  and  on  investigation  found  that  Pete  had 
apparently  not  yet  returned,  for  there  were  no 
more  fish  concealed  in  the  bushes.  Jack  then 
suggested  that  they  cross  over  to  their  former 
hiding-place  and  keep  watch. 


308  JACK  IN  THE   BUSH. 

Here  they  remained  patiently  for  about  half 
an  hour  without  hearing  or  seeing  anything  of 
interest.  It  was  then  nearly  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  Max  had  dropped  off  into  a  doze,  and 
Jack  was  beginning  to  ask  himself  whether  Pete 
could  have  got  wind  of  them  and  slipped  away, 
when  suddenly  there  appeared  above  the  tree-tops 
across  the  river  a  strange  light  in  the  sky  that 
made  him  think  that  the  sun  was  rising.  But  a 
moment's  thought  convinced  him  that  it  was, too 
early.  What  did  the  light  mean,  then?  Were  the 
woods  on  fire?  While  he  was  wondering  if  this 
could  be  the  case,  the  illumination  deepened  into 
golden  sheen,  and  a  few  moments  later  the  fiery 
half  moon  rose  into  sight,  lighting  up  the  surface 
of  the  river.  Absorbed  by  the  changed  aspect  of 
the  night,  Jack  was  startled  to  perceive  the  long 
anticipated  canoe  glide  suddenly  down  into  the 
pool,  headed  for  the  opposite  shore.  The  torch 
was  no  longer  burning,  but  it  was  easy  in  the 
moonlight  to  make  out  the  half-breed  paddling 
in  the  stern.  His  skiff  rode  deep  in  the  water,  as 
though  heavily  laden. 

Jack  roused  Max,  and  whispered  to  him    that 


"INJUN   FALLS."  309 

Pete  was  going  to  land.  With  keen  excitement 
they  watched  him,  just  after  stepping  ashore,  stoop 
and  scrutinize  the  ground,  look  about  him  as 
though  suspicious,  and  then  ascend  the  bank 
without  unloading  his  canoe. 

"  He  has  noticed  our  tracks,"  said  Jack. 
"What  had  we  better  do?  Do  you  suppose  we 
could  slip  across  and  cut  loose  his  canoe  before 
he  could  get  back?" 

"It  would  be  risky,  for  if  we  were  to  fail  he 
might  make  it  hot  for  us,"  said  Max. 

"  We  are  two  to  his  one." 

Pete's  reappearance  at  this  moment  decided  the 
matter.  He  came  stealing  back  like  an  angry  cat, 
glancing  furtively  to  right  and  left  and  across  the 
river,  in  such  a  way  that  the  boys  held  their 
breath,  and  slunk  down  as  much  as  possible 
behind  their  canoe.  He  had  evidently  discovered 
his  loss,  and  was  apprehensive  of  danger.  He 
threw  the  painter  into  his  skiff,  leaped  inside,  and 
seized  the  paddle. 

"  What  let's  do  ?  "  asked  Jack  feverishly. 

"  He's  going  down  river,"  replied  Max,  without 
answering  the  question. 


310  JACK  IN   THE   BUSH. 

"  If  he'  gets  a  start  on  us,  we  shall  never  catch 
him.  Let's  follow  him,  Max,  and  try  to  get  the 
fish." 

"  Whatever  you  say,  Jack.     I'm  ready." 

Pete  was  by  this  time  at  the  head  of  the  rapid. 
Spryly,  but  seeking  to  be  noiseless,  the  boys 
sprang  up,  and  pushed  their  boat  into  the  water. 

"Will  you  go  bow,  Max?"  Jack  asked,  willing 
to  renounce  the  post  of  responsibility. 

"  No,  no.     You  paddle  much  better  than  I." 

"  All  right."  Jack  darted  forward,  and  took 
his  position.  "Are  you  ready?" 

"  Go  ahead." 

A  half-dozen  strokes  sent  them  to  the  verge  of 
the  rapid,  mid-way  in  which  their  enemy  was 
visible  tossing  on  the  angry  water.  It  was  no 
longer  dark.  There  was  a  sort  of  twilight.  The 
effulgence  of  the  old  moon  was  mingled  with  the 
first  indications  of  dawn.  As  yet  Pete  had  not 
perceived  that  he  was  followed.  He  was  moving 
with  no  especial  swiftness,  being  intent  apparently 
on  steering  clear  of  the  dangerous  boulders  in  the 
rapid,  which  might  readily  knock  a  hole  in  a  canoe 
so  much  below  the  surface.  Behind .  him  his 


"INJUN   FALLS."  311 

pursuers  made  all  the  haste  that  was  consistent 
with  safety,  appreciating  that  it  was  important 
to  take  advantage  of  every  moment  before  they 
should  be  observed. 

Was  it  intuition,  habitual  dread,  or  some  de 
tected  noise  that  caused  the  Indian  to  turn  his 
head  just  as  he  had  reached  the  foot  of  the  rapid  ? 
It  might  well  have  been  the  last,  for  not  more 
than  a  dozen  yards  of  foaming  water  separated 
him  from  his  pursuers  at  the  moment.  As  he 
realized  the  situation,  they  could  not  discern  the 
expression  of  his  face.  He  uttered  no  cry,  made 
no  gesture  ;  simply  turned  his  head,  and  plied  his 
paddle  with  all  his  might  and  skill. 

"  Now  for  it,  Max,"  cried  Jack.  "•  Let's  go  for 
him." 

"  Look  out ;  snub  her." 

"Yes,  I  see." 

The  canoe  ahead  was  gliding  forward  at  a  won 
derful  rate ;  and,  not  to  lose  the  advantage  they 
had  already  gained,  they  could  not  afford  to  be  too 
prudent.  There  was  only  a  few  feet  of  dangerous 
water  left.  This  safely  passed,  the  river  was 
smooth  and  safe. 


312  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

"Snub  her,  Jack,  snub  her,"  Max  yelled,  as  he 
heard  the  canoe  grind  her  nose,  and  felt  himself 
tilted  to  one  side  so  that  the  water  almost  poured 
in  over  the  edge. 

44  All  right,  Max." 

It  was  a  close  shave ;  but  skillful  manipu 
lation  of  the  paddle  had  swrept  them  past  the 
point  of  danger,  and  brought  them  into  a  swift, 
unimpeded  current.  They  had  lost  a  little  on 
their  enemy,  yet  not  materially ;  and  had  they  not 
four  arms  to  his  two?  To  be  sure,  he  was  an 
Indian,  accustomed  all  his  days  to  paddling  and  to 
this  river ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  his  canoe  being 
full  of  fish  was  unfit  to  be  handled  rapidly  by 
one  man. 

On  they  went,  neither  canoe  gaining  on  the 
other,  the  consciousness  of  which  doubtless  caused 
Pete  every  few  moments  to  dart  a  glance  behind 
him,  and  afterwards  to  ply  his  paddle  still  more 
rapidly  through  the  water.  But  the  boys,  too, 
having  settled  down  to  their  work,  were  sending 
their  canoe  spinning  forward  in  famous  fashion. 
Another  rapid  was  reached,  and  encountered 
successfully ;  and  then  they  came  in  sight  of  the 


"INJUN   FALLS."  313 

log-cabin,  past  which  they  glided  so  swiftly,  that, 
ere  they  realized  where  they  were,  they  had  left  it 
behind.  Still  on,  and  neither  canoe  gaining, 
neither  losing. 

Of  a  sudden  the  blade  of  Pete's  paddle  breaks 
in  his  hand,  serving  to  divert  the  canoe  somewhat 
from  her  course,  and  then  to  check  her  while  the 
Indian  reaches  forward  for  another  which  he 
happens  to  have.  Every  foot  is  precious,  and  by 
means  of  this  misadventure  the  pursuers  have 
gained  ground.  Moreover,  the  new  paddle  is  a 
smaller,  frailer  one,  ill  suited  for  the  strenuous 
work  that  it  must  do  in  order  that  its  owner  may 
maintain  the  lead.  He  evidently  appreciates  this, 
for,  beside  looking  behind  him  still  more  fre 
quently,  he  glances  now  and  again  from  right  to 
left  as  though  scanning  the  banks.  High  cliffs 
tower  on  either  side  for  the  most  part,  up  which 
any  one  seeking  to  climb  must  have  the  legs  and 
facility  of  a  fly  to  be  successful.  But  doubtless 
the  wily  half-breed,  acquainted  with  every  foot  of 
the  river,  knows  of  places  where  the  precipice 
rises  more  gradually,  affording  to  one  who  is 
cat-like  and  sinewy  opportunities  for  escape  by 


314  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

swinging  from  a  tree  to  a  ledge,  and  thence  to 
some  other  shelter,  until  the  height  is  won. 

The  boys  are  quick  to  appreciate  his  intention. 
They  would  like  nothing  better  than  that  he 
should  abandon  canoe,  fish,  and  all,  and  take 
to  the  woods.  Their  triumph  would  then  be 
complete.  With  the  idea  of  accelerating  this 
apparent  disposition  on  the  part  of  their  enemy 
to  take  refuge  in  flight,  Jack  cries  to  Max,  — 

"Hand  me  the  gun." 

"You're  not  going  to  fire  at  him,  surely, 
Jack?" 

"Only  over  his  head,  to  scare  him.  It  may 
drive  him  ashore." 

Max  drops  his  paddle,  and  deftly  reaches  for 
ward  the  rifle.  For  an  instant  their  headway 
is  checked,  while  Jack,  putting  the  butt  to  his 
shoulder,  aims  deliberately  many  yards  wide  of 
Pete's  body,  and  pulls  the  trigger.  The  sharp 
report  echoes  through  the  hills,  while  the  Indian 
turns  with  a  look  that  is  half  terror  and  half 
menace,  and  utters  something  that  sounds  jargon 
to  the  boys. 

"  Do  you  suppose  he  has  a  gun  ?  "  says   Max. 


"INJUN   FALLS."  315 

"I  guess  not.  Anyhow,  he  wouldn't  dare  to  use 
it,  for  he  would  have  to  hang  if  he  shot  us." 

The  discharge  does  not  seem  to  produce  the 
result  expected.  On  the  contrary,  as  a  conse 
quence  of  it,  and  another  which  Jack  has  recourse 
to  a  moment  later,  Pete  seems  to  change  his  mind 
in  regard  to  escaping  by  means  of  the  bank. 
Doubtless  he  fears  that  while  seeking  to  do  so 
he  might  more  easily  be  pierced  by  a  rifle-ball, 
for  he  naturally  imagines  that  the  shots  fired  at 
him  are  intended  to  kill.  On  he  dashes,  crouch 
ing  low  in  the  canoe,  and  preferring  to  trust  to 
outstripping  his  opponents  on  the  water,  while 
the  east  breaks  into  shafts  of  light  that  make  the 
moon  paler  and  blot  out  the  stars. 

All  at  once  Jacks  starts,  and  exclaims  almost 
with  horror,  "  Hark  !  We're  nearly  at  the  Injun 
Falls.  I'd  forgotten  them." 

"  So  we  must  be.  I  can  hear  the  roar,"  answers 
Max.  "  What  shall  we  do,  Jack  ?  " 

"What'll  he  do?" 

"Do  you  suppose  he'll  try  to  run  them?" 

"He's  likely  to  corne  to  grief  if  he  does." 

It  was  evident  now,  from  the  manner  in  which 


316  JACK  IN  THE  BUSH. 

Pete  was  straining  every  nerve  to  keep  his  lead, 
that  he,  too,  had  recognized  the  murmur  of  the 
dangerous  cascade  ahead,  and  was  hoping  to 
devise  therefrom  some  means  of  escape. 

A  moment  more  brought  them  in  sight  of  the 
foaming  rapid,  through  which  only  the  most 
skillful  canoemen  could  hope  to  pass  in  safety. 
Pete,  as  he  reached  the  border  of  the  crested, 
churning  whirlpool,  looked  behind  him  once  more, 
arid,  regarding  his  hunters  with  a  smile  of  malice, 
beckoned  them  on.  If  they  wished  his  scalp,  they 
must  follow  where  he  chose  to  lead.  Would 
they  dare  to  do  so  ?  Or  if  they  did,  would  they, 
mere  striplings  as  they  were,  be  able  to  avoid 
being  upset  in  the  midst  of  the  rapid  ?  And 
disaster  there  meant  not  merely  a  wetting.  The 
stoutest  swimmer  might  well  lose  nerve  and  con 
sciousness  in  that  mad  current,  and  be  swept  like 
a  feather  over  the  tawny  Indian  Falls. 

"  Shall  we  keep  on  ?  "  asked  Jack,  looking  back 
with  flashing  eyes.  The  idea  of  Pete's  escaping 
through  their  unwillingness  to  follow,  was  galling; 
but,  whatever  his  own  sentiments  might  be,  Max 
must  be  consulted. 


"INJUN   FALLS."  317 

"I'll  do  whatever  you  say,  Jack." 

"  Come  on,  then." 

No  more  was  said.  In  another  second  the 
canoe  was  battling  with  the  wild  torrent  but  a 
few  yards  behind  the  desperate  Indian's.  Haste, 
indeed  anything  but  deliberate,  Argus-eyed  caution, 
would  assure  destruction.  To  pick  one's  way 
zigzag  through  a  labyrinth  of  cruel  rocks,  was  the 
only  chance  for  a  safe  passage. 

"We'd  better  take  to  the  poles,"  said  Max. 
"  We  can  hold  her  better  if  we  do." 

This  was  sound  advice,  and  the  example  to  do 
so  had  already  been  set  them  by  Pete.  Laying 
aside  their  paddles,  they  stood  up  over  the  frown 
ing  water,  and  gripped  the  bottom  with  the  iron 
sockets  seeking  an  avenue.  The  boiling  surf 
made  Jack  feel  giddy.  To  keep  his  balance,  and 
at  the  same  time  chose  a  path  through  the  hell- 
gate,  was  no  easy  matter.  In  front  the  other 
canoe  was  plunging  madly,  taxing  to  the  utter 
most  the  skill  of  the  half-breed,  who  stood  a  little 
forward  of  the  middle  to  keep  her  bow  from 
swinging.  Jack  ducked  his  head  that  he  might 
rub  with  his  sleeve  his  eyes,  which  were  so  full  of 


318  JACK   IX   THE   BUSH. 

spray,  caused  by  the  constant  spattering,  that 
he  could  scarcely  see,  and  at  the  same  moment 
the  canoe  bumped  savagely  against  a  rock. 
He  fairly  staggered,  and  in  saving  himself  from 
falling  overboard  let  in  a  quantity  of  water. 
Bumping  past  the  rock,  the  nose  of  the  canoe 
jammed  itself  in  between  two  boulders,  in  a  sort 
of  gully  where  the  water  ran  like  a  mill-race  and 
plunged  forward  in  a  small  cascade  at  the  end. 
They  were  fast  stuck,  and  in  such  a  way  that 
the  bow  projected  over  the  declivity  at  a  decidedly 
disagreeable  angle.  To  extricate  her  without 
coming  to  grief  more  seriously,  was  the  work  of 
some  moments,  during  which  the  boys  nursed 
the  bitter  consciousness  that  Pete  was  gaining  on 
them.  At  last,  after  having  taken  in  a  quart  or 
two  more  water,  they  were  free  and  dashing  once 
more  as  fast  as  they  dared  toward  the  dreaded 
falls.  Pete  had  passed  through  three-fourths  of 
the  rapid,  and  they  were  not  far  behind.  Would 
he  dare  to  take  the  leap?  Would  they  dare  to 
follow  him  if  he  did?  The  tumult  of  the  river 
made  their  brains  whirl,  making  it  impossible 
almost  to  think,  much  less  to  talk.  With  eyes 


"INJUN   FALLS."  319 

fixed  intently  on  the  boiling  water,  with  every 
sinew  strained,  they  plied  their  poles,  not  know 
ing  what  would  be  the  outcome,  not  seeking  to 
anticipate  it. 

Just  then  Pete's  canoe  gave  a  sudden  cant, 
owing  doubtless  to  contact  with  some  concealed 
rock,  which  threw  the  half-breed  off  his  feet  down 
upon  the  flooring,  and  buried  her  gunwale  well 
under  water. 

"  See,  see !  cried  Jack,  in  almost  agonized 
accents. 

The  deeply  freighted  canoe  remained  for  a 
moment  at  a  critical  angle,  as  if  hesitating 
whether  to  tip  over,  then  slowly  righted  herself. 
Pete  was  on  his  feet  again,  using  his  pole  vigor 
ously,  but  unable  to  prevent  her  from  exposing 
her  flank  to  the  current,  which  twisted  and 
thwarted  her  course  so  completely,  that  before 
he  could  bring  her  head  round  Jack  was 
thundering  but  a  length  or  two  behind,  — 

'•  Give  us  back  those  fish.  You  stole  those 
fish." 

The  spectacle  of  his  enemy's  plight  had 
prompted  the  boy  to  suggest  terms  that  might, 


320  JACK  IX  THE  BUSH. 

he  thought,  appeal  to  the  fleeing  Indian,  and 
thus  avert  more  serious  consequences  while  there 
was  still  time.  Pete  turned  his  head  at  the 
outcry. 

"  Give  us  back  the  fish,  and  we'll  let  you 
go,"  repeated  Jack,  unable  to  believe  that  Pete 
would  dare  to  take  the  leap,  and  confident  that 
the  salmon-spearer's  only  choice  was  between 
surrender  and  destruction. 

But  his  words  seemed  only  to  spur  on  to  more 
determined  efforts  the  Indian,  who,  having  brought 
the  head  of  his  half-sunken  canoe  into  position 
once  more,  sent  her  driving  forward,  headed 
straight  for  the  roaring  cataract. 

"  Great  Csesar's  ghost !  he's  going  to  run  it." 

As  he  spoke,  Pete  turned  again,  smiling  and 
beckoning  as  he  had  done  before,  and  then  gave 
vent  to  another  jargon  utterance,  that  sounded 
like  a  note  of  triumph.  He  intended  to  go  over 
the  fall.  There  could  be  no  doubt  of  it ;  for  now 
it  was  too  late  for  him  to  avoid  doing  so,  whatever 
his  desire  might  be.  He  was  crouching  low  in 
the  canoe,  having  exchanged,  at  the  moment  that 
he  had  emitted  his  challenge,  his  pole  for  his 


"INJUN   FALLS."  821 

paddle,  and  had  directed  her  into  the  middle  of 
the  stream  where  the  current  was  swiftest. 

Close  behind,  not  more  than  half  a  dozen  yards 
distant,  came  his  pursuers,  growing  conscious,  as 
they  perceived  that  rocks  no  longer  impeded  them, 
that  they  too  were  on  a  down  slope,  and  moving 
with  terrible  velocity.  What  was  to  be  done? 
Should  they  follow?  Not  a  word  was  spoken 
until  Jack  said  suddenly,  — 

"Get  your  paddle  out." 

An  instant  later  he  gave  a  great  gasp.  He  had 
seen  the  rival  canoe  give  a  wild  leap  into  the  air 
and  disappear.  For  an  instant  a  sickening  sensa 
tion  of  dread  took  possession  of  him,  and  hev  would 
fain  have  turned  aside.  But  it  was  impossible 
now.  He  felt  himself  being  swept  down  a  terrible 
smooth  slide  of  water,  that  made  him  think  of 
pale  green  glass. 

"Hold  tight,  Max;  we're  going  over,"  he 
uttered.  Then  for  an  instant  a  huge  foaming  gulf 
yawned  below  him,  and  he  knew  that  they  were 
pitching  downward.  He  shut  his  eyes,  and 
gripped  his  paddle  like  a  vise.  There  was  a 
moment  of  ghastly  stillness,  which  seemed  like 


322  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

an  eternity,  and  then  he  felt  the  canoe  strike  the 
surface  with  a  force  that  drove  the  water  over 
him  in  clouds.  He  knew  that  floods  were  pouring 
into  her,  and  that  he  was  well-nigh  submerged; 
and  yet  before  he  could  decide  what  had  hap 
pened,  the  worst  seemed  to  be  over,  for  her  nose 
had  reappeared  above  water.  With  a  quick 
glance  behind  him,  he  realized  that  they  had 
escaped  serious  injury.  Max,  pale  as  a  ghost  and 
nearly  as  wet  as  he,  sat  in  the  stern  unharmed, 
though  the  canoe  was  full  half-way  to  the  brim. 
Well  behind  them  was  the  terrible  cataract,  on 
the  impetus  from  whose  swift  deluge  they  were 
still  being  borne  along  at  a  mad  rate.  All  this 
Jack  understood  in  an  instant ;  and  appreciating 
that  they  had  made  the  leap  in  safety,  his  next 
thought  was  for  Pete.  As  he  looked  forward 
again,  he  beheld  almost  abreast  of  him  in  the 
foam-flecked  turbulent  river  a  human  figure, 
wildly  and  vainly  struggling  to  obtain  a  foothold. 
Of  the  other  canoe  there  was  no  vestige.  There 
was  only  to  be  seen  a  black  head  and  gesticulating 
pair  of  arms,  which  suddenly  disappeared  as  the 
victim's  feet  were  deprived  even  of  a  passing 


"HOLD   TIGHT,   MAX;     WE'RE   GOING  OVER.'    —  P.  321. 


"INJUN  FALLS."  325 

contact  with  the  slippery  rocks  at  the  bottom, 
owing  to  the  increased  depth  of  the  galloping 
water,  which  now  rolled  him  over  and  over, 
bringing  him  to  the  surface  in  another  moment 
several  yards  beyond,  a  confused,  gasping  mass, 
uttering  cries  of  terror,  imploring  help. 

"  He'll  drown,  he'll  drown  ! "  Jack  heard  Max 
exclaim  in  a  tone  of  horror.  The  same  thought 

o 

was  in  his  own  mind.  Evidently  the  half-breed 
could  not  swim,  and  was  at  the  mercy  of  the 
rapid  current.  His  desire  for  retaliation  had 
been  fully  sated  by  the  severe  punishment  which 
his  enemy  had  already  suffered  in  the  loss  of 
canoe  and  fish.  Both  the  purloining  of  the  loon 
and  the  flambeauing  were  amply  avenged ;  and 
the  idea  of  Pete's  being  drowned,  as  a  result  of 
the  effort  to  recapture  the  salmon,  struck  him 
as  terrible.  What  could  he  do  to  save  him  ? 

Instantly  he  plied  his  paddle,  in  the  hope  of 
catching  up  with  the  unfortunate  struggler,  in 
which  attempt  he  was  sturdily  seconded  by  Max  ; 
but  their  canoe  was  so  water-logged  as  to  be 
nearly  unmanageable.  Jack  realized,  moreover, 
that  if  they  were  to  bring  it  within  grasping 


326  JACK   IX   THE    BUSH. 

distance  of  the  drowning  man,  they  were  certain 
to  be  upset.  The  half-breed,  who  was  bravely 
struggling  to  keep  his  head  above  the  surface, 
turned  toward  him  a  ghastly  face  full  of  despair, 
and  reached  out  his  arms  as  though  begging  for 
assistance. 

"What  can  we  do,  Max?"  Jack  cried. 

"  We  must  save  him  somehow,  or  he  will  drown 
before  our  eyes." 

Just  then  Pete  went  under  for  a  second  time, 
uttering  a  choking  cry  as  he  sank.  With  an 
impulsive  movement  Jack  pulled  his  shirt  over 
his  head,  and  kicked  off  his  shoes. 

"  Look  out  for  her,  Max,  and  follow  me  close." 

"You  mustn't,  Jack,  you  mustn't!  You  can't 
do  anything  against  that  current." 

Max's  words  of  protest  were  cut  short  by  a 
splash.  Jack  had  leaped  from  the  canoe  into 
the  river.  He  had  resolved  to  save  Pete,  if 
possible.  He  was  a  good  swimmer  for  his  years, 
and  he  believed  that  he  was  equal  to  the  emer 
gency.  If  he  could  only  keep  clear  of  rocks,  he 
felt  sure  that  he  should  not  be  overcome  by  the 
current.  These  thoughts  had  been  in  his  mind 


''INJUN  FALLS."  327 

as  he  jumped,  and  he  had  selected  an  unob 
structed,  deep-looking  spot  into  which  to  plunge. 
As  he  emerged,  he  perceived  Pete,  who  had 
reappeared  at  the  same  moment.  Fortunately 
the  half-breed  was  nearly  unconscious,  or  he  might 
have  questioned  the  motive  of  his  pursuer  in 
seizing  him.  Remembering  from  what  he  had 
read  of  the  tendencies  of  drowning  people,  to 
avoid  being  gripped  in  turn,  Jack  managed  to 
get  his  right  arm  under  one  of  Pete's,  in  such 
a  way  as  to  keep  the  half-breed's  head  above 
water,  and  then  tried  to  strike  out  for  the  shore. 
He  was  conscious  of  being  swept  along  by  a 
tremendous  power,  which  twisted  his  legs  about 
in  an  alarming  fashion,  and  prevented  him  from 
moving  otherwise  than  in  the  same  way  with  it. 
Plainly  he  was  going  down  stream  at  a  tremendous 
pace.  But  fortunately  again,  the  river,  though 
swift,  continued  deep,  and  only  once  did  he  come 
in  painful  contact  with  the  rocks.  Before  he 
could  collect  himself,  however,  after  grasping  his 
burden,  he  had  been  swept  forward  fifty  yards. 

Not  far  behind  them  followed  Max,  managing 
with  his  paddle   as  best  he   could  the   unwieldy 


328  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

canoe,  which  had  swung  across  the  stream,  and 
was  wobbling  alarmingly.  He  kept  his  eyes  fixed 
on  the  valiant  rescuer,  eager  to  afford  him  aid, 
and  yet  uncertain  how  to  do  so. 

"  I'm  coming,  Jack,  I'm  coming !  "  he  shouted. 

Another  fifty  yards  was  passed,  and  the  dead 
weight  of  the  unconscious  Indian  was  beginning 
to  pull  Jack  down.  His  own  chin  was  barely 
above  the  Avater.  Still  he  managed  to  keep 
Pete's  face  from  being  submerged,  and  did  his 
best,  while  being  carried  on,  to  make  some  little 
progress  toward  the  shore  with  his  unencumbered 
right  arm.  Swift  as  the  current  continued,  it 
was  less  rapid  than  at  first;  and  hopes  of  being 
able  to  touch  the  bottom,  and  gain  a  foothold,"" 
buoyed  up  his  courage.  But  he  was  fagged,  and 
he  ached.  Several  times  the  idea  of  letting  his 
burden  go,  and  saving  himself,  occurred  to  him, 
but  still  he  held  on. 

At  last,  just  as  he  felt  that  in  another  moment 
his  strength  would  be  exhausted,  one  of  his  feet, 
which  were  dragging  lightly,  touched  a  rock. 
Trusting  that  a  little  farther  toward  the  shore 
the  water  might  not  be  over  his  head,  he  made 


"INJUN   FALLS."  329 

one  vigorous  endeavor  to  escape  from  the  mid 
stream,  and  succeeded  so  far  that  he  found,  on 
sinking  both  legs,  that  he  was  on  the  bottom, 
though  the  river  was  still  up  to  his  lips.  The 
next  instant  the  undertow  deprived  him  of  this 
advantage  ;  but  while  treading  water,  he  launched 
himself  again  toward  the  bank,  and  this  time 
got  a  foothold  where  he  was  under  water  only 
as  far  as  his  chin.  But,  owing  to  the  great  diffi 
culty  of  keeping  Pete's  face  above  the  surface 
while  in  this  process,  he  slipped  and  fell,  so  that 
he  and  the  drowning  man  went  completely  under. 
But  here  again  fortune  favored  him,  in  that  he 
fell  toward  the  shore.  He  managed  to  pick  him 
self  up  again,  and  to  recover,  by  dint  of  both 
hands,  the  still  senseless  half-breed.  The  river 
was  now  only  up  to  his  arm-pits ;  and,  by  planting 
his  feet  firmly  apart,  he  was  able  to  resist  the 
current  sufficiently  to  look  about  him.  In  another 
instant,  Max  Avas  at  his  side  with  the  canoe. 
Using  the  edge  of  this  as  a  means  of  steadying 
himself,  he  reached  a  place  where  it  was  only 
up  to  his  knees,  then  staggered  to  the  bank, 
dragging  Pete  with  him,  and  dropped  exhausted 


330  JACK  IX  THE   BUSH. 

on  the  beach.  Max  shot  the  canoe  ashore,  and 
got  on  his  knees  beside  him.  Jack  had  shut  his 
eyes,  but  he  opened  them,  and  asked,  — 

"  Is  he  drowned  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know ;  I  wanted  to  be  sure  you  were 
not  hurt," 

"  I'm  all  right.  Look  after  Pete,"  Jack  mur 
mured  faintly. 

Max  turned  his  attention  to  the  Indian,  who 
lay  on  his  back,  pale  and  apparently  dead.  But, 
as  Max  bent  over  him  in  horrible  uncertainty, 
Pete  gave  a  perceptible  sigh. 

"No,  I  think  he's  alive,  thank  God!"  Max 
cried ;  and,  though  he  had  rather  a  vague  idea  as 
to  the  proper  treatment  for  nearly  drowned  people, 
he  began  vigorously  to  rub  the  half-breed's  hands. 

"  Turn  him  over  on  his  face,"  said  Jack ;  and 
he  sat  up  himself,  with  the  desire  of  helping  his 
friend,  but  sank  back  again  exhausted. 

"  Don't  stir.  I  can  do  everything,"  cried  Max 
beseechingly.  "  If  you'll  tell  me  what  to  do, 
I'll  do  it.  A  nice  sort  of  fellow  I  am  to  come 
into  the  woods,"  he  added,  in  disgust  at  his  own 
ignorance. 


"  INJUN   FALLS."  331 

Jack,  who  knew  something  about  such  matters, 
gave  the  necessary  directions,  arid  almost  imme 
diately  was  able  to  rise  and  superintend  the 
process.  After  a  few  moments  of  rubbing,  Pete 
gave  unmistakable  signs  of  coming  to  life.  Max, 
who  had  pulled  off  his  patient's  boots,  noticed, 
in  chafing  his  feet,  that  he  groaned  whenever 
his  right  leg  was  disturbed.  Apparently,  it  was 
severely  hurt.  At  last,  after  a  copious  amount 
of  water  had  trickled  out  of  his  mouth,  and  his 
skin  had  become  tolerably  warm,  Pete  opened 
his  eyes.  For  an  instant  he  looked  dazed  and 
alarmed  at  the  sight  of  the  two  boys  bending 
over  him,  and  he  made  an  effort  as  though  to 
spring  up  ;  but  the  exertion  destroyed  his  reviving 
consciousness.  When,  a  moment  or  two  later,  he 
came  to  himselF  again,  he  regarded  his  captors 
with  a  half-sullen,  half-astonished  stare,  appar 
ently  realizing  what  had  happened,  and  at  a  loss 
to  understand  such  magnanimity. 

"  Feel  better?  "  Jack  inquired,  as  the  half-breed 
moved  his  head  a  little. 

"  Ya,"  was  the  guttural  answer. 

"Pretty  close  call  you  had." 


332  JACK  IN   THE   BUSH. 

This  idiom  was  obviously  beyond  Pete's  intel 
ligence.  He  stared  stupidly,  and  in  another 
moment  evinced  a  disposition  to  rise,  which  was 
not  interfered  with.  But,  as  he  was  attempting 
to  get  on  his  feet,  he  suddenly  groaned  with 
pain,  and  sank  upon  the  ground. 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  "  the  boys  cried  together. 

Pete's  face  had  assumed  the  look  of  a  desperate 
wounded  animal.  There  was  fury*  as  well  as 
the  symptoms  of  suffering  in  his  eyes.  Lifting 
himself  upon  his  elbow,  he  reached  behind  him, 
searching  evidently  for  his  knife ;  but  Max,  while 
restoring  him,  had  removed,  and  tossed  to  one 
side,  the  belt  to  which  it  was  attached.  Still 
angrier  in  consequence  of  being  thus  foiled,  he 
sprang  up  with  the  crafty  elasticity,  of  a  wild-cat, 
and  made  a  leap  for  Jack's  neck.  Jack,  aston 
ished,  stepped  hastily  backwards  ;  and  his  would-be 
assailant  pitched  headlong,  and  lay  on  his  face 
writhing. 

The  boys  looked  at  each  other  in  amazement 
for  a  moment,  then  Jack  exclaimed,  "  That's  a 
queer  sort  of  return  to  make  for  having  saved 
your  life.  I'm  sorry  if  you're  hurt,  but  you'd 


"INJUN   FALLS."  333 

have  been  drowned  if  I  hadn't  jumped  in  after 
you." 

Max  at  the  same  time  picked  up  the  belt  and 
knife. 

Pete  made  no  answer,  but  lay  groaning.  It 
was  evident  he  could  not  stand. 

"I  guess  he  must  have  broken  his  leg,"  said 
Jack  presently.  "  I  wonder  what  we'd  better  do 
with  him." 

"  We  can't  be  more  than  a  mile  and  a  half 
from  the  Big  Salmon  Hole,"  said  Max. 

"Let's  ask  him  what  he'd  like  us  to  do." 

Max  nodded. 

"  See  here,  your  name's  Pete  Labouisse,  isn't  it?" 
Jack  began,  stooping  over  the  half-breed,  but  care 
ful  to  be  on  his  guard  against  any  sudden  clutch. 

Pete  looked  up,  and  scowled.  "  Ya,  ya,"  he 
muttered. 

"I  thought  I  recognized  you.  I  want  to  say 
that  we're  ready  to  help  you  in  any  way  we  can, 
only  you  must  treat  us  as  friends,  and  not  jump 
at  our  throats  as  you  did  just  now.  Your  canoe 
sank,  I  think,  for  there  isn't  any  sign  of  her 
anywhere." 


334  JACK   IX   THE   BUSH. 

"  Strike  rock.1' 

"  That  accounts  for  it.  Well,  if  you  say  so, 
we'll  take  you  in  ours  down  to  where  our  friends 
are.  They  sha'n't  hurt  .you,"  Jack  added,  noticing 
Pete's  look  of  alarm  at  this  suggestion.  "  You've 
had  punishment  enough  already  for  spearing  our 
fish." 

The  Indian  blinked,  and  looked  rather  non 
plussed.  Such  generosity  was  novel  to  him. 
Presumably  he  doubted  its  genuineness. 

"  What  do  you  say  ?  Shall  we  take  you  with 
us?" 

"  I  stay  here.     You  go, '  answered  Pete. 

"But  you'll  starve,'  interposed  Max. 

"Isn't  your  leg  broken?"  Jack  asked.  "If  it 
is,  you  ought  to  have  a  doctor  look  at  it.  You 
needn't  be  afraid,''  he  continued,  divining  Pete's 
suspicions.  "Well  neither  of  us  tell  tales  on 
you,  so  no  one  will  be  able  to  put  you  in 
prison." 

The  lad's  tone  and  manner  were  so  reassuring, 
that,  in  spite  of  this  allusion  to  possible  legal 
complications,  the  Indian's  expression  softened  a 
little.  The  idea  of  being  left  alone  to  shift  for 


" INJUN   FALLS."  335 

himself  in  his  present  crippled  condition  was  not 
agreeable. 

"  Get  ready  the  canoe,  Max.  We  ourselves 
ought  to  start,  anyway/' 

"You  take  me  Basin?"  queried  Pete  at  this 
moment. 

"Where?  Oh,  Gaspe  Basin!  Yes,  if  it's 
necessary." 

The  prisoner  shook  his  head  repugnantly. 

"  We're  going  to  take  you  to  the  camp  at  the 
Big  Salmon  Hole  first ;  that's  only  a  mile  below, 
you  know.  When  you're  cured,  you  can  go  to 
the  Basin  or  not  as  you  prefer,"  said  Jack. 

"Ya,  ya.     I  go  with  you." 

"All  right." 

"That's  first-rate,"  said  Max,  who  had  tipped 
the  water  out  of  the  canoe  by  this  time.  When" 
all  was  ready,  the  boys  signified  to  Pete  that  if 
he  would  put  an  arm  around  each  of  their  necks 
they  would  lift  him  into  it.  Before  intrusting 
themselves  so  completely  within  his  reach,  Jack 
felt  it  prudent  to  remark  with  firmness,  — 

"  Now,  you  mustn't  try  any  tricks  on  us,  Pete, 
for  we're  armed  with  knives  and  a  gun,  and 


336  JACK  IN   THE   BUSH, 

plenty  of  cartridges.  We  wish  to  be  friendly 
with  you,  if  you'll  let  us ;  but,  if  you  show  any 
signs  of  treachery,  we  shall  feel  justified  in 
throwing  you  overboard." 

Jack  was  surprised  at  his  ability  to  make  so 
formidable  an  harangue  to  one  who,  in  his  normal 
condition,  was  more  than  a  match  for  them  both. 
As  for  Max,  he  felt  at  least  two  inches  taller 
with  pride  on  hearing  his  friend  address  the 
muscular,  dangerous-looking  half-breed  in  such 
downright  style. 

"  Ya,  ya,"  Pete  assented  assuriogiy. 

Accordingly  the  boys  carried  him  to  the  canoe 
in  the  fashion  described,  and  laid  him  on  his 
back.  He  seemed  to  be  suffering  considerably. 
Max,  who  sat  in  the  stern  facing  Pete,  took  the 
precaution  to  place  the  rifle  b}^  his  own  side, 
though  Pete  was  scarcely  in  a  condition  to  carry 
out  any  evil  designs.  As  soon  as  they  started, 
it  became  apparent  that  the  canoe  had  suffered 
considerably  by  her  fall,  in  that  the  water  began 
to  trickle  into  her  through  sundry  cracks  imper 
ceptible  to  the  eye ;  but,  by  strenuous  bailing, 
they  were  enabled  to  keep  it  from  making  serious 


"INJUN  FALLS."  337 

progress,  while,  as  regards  comfort,  the  trio  were 
as  wet  as  could  be  already.  The  particulars  of 
Pete's  catastrophe  were  gleaned  on  the  way  by 
means  of  a  few  questions.  His  heavily  laden 
canoe  had  struck  a  rock,  and  split  in  two ;  and 
the  injury  to  his  leg  had  been  received  at  the 
same  moment.  He  had  never  learned  to  swim, 
—  a  strange  circumstance,  which  -could  be  told 
equally  of  a  large  number  of  men  whose  livelihood 
is  earned  more  or  less  upon  the  water. 

It  was  about  six  o'clock  as  they  came  in  sight 
of  the  Big  Salmon  Hole.  No  one  appeared  to 
be  stirring,  and  Jack  suggested  that  Max  should 
fire  the  rifle  in  the  air  by  way  of  announcing 
their  arrival.  A  moment  after  the  explosion,  a 
number  of  heads  were  thrust  out  of  the  tents, 
and  Bingo  began  to  bark  vehemently. 

"It's  Jack  and  Max  come  back,"  cried  several 
voices,  and  the  entire  party  came  rushing  down 
to  the  water's  edge,  with  surprise  written  on 
their  faces,  which  was  doubly  increased  as  they 
realized  who  was  the  stranger  reclining  in  the 
canoe. 

"  Why,  boys,  what  does  this  mean  ?  "  cried  the 


338  JACK   IN   THE  BUSH. 

Colonel,  seizing  the  nose  of  the  canoe,  and 
steadying  it. 

"Not  very  much,"  said  Jack  nonchalantly,  as 
he  stepped  ashore.  "  Except  one  thing,  —  Max 
shot  a  bear." 

"Shot  a  bear?" 

"Really!" 

"  Hoorah ! " 

"  Bully  for  you,  Max !  A  bear !  Max  has 
killed  a  bear,  Mr.  Holt,"  cried  Tom,  completing 
the  round  of  youthful  exclamations  that  greeted 
Jack's  announcement. 

"  Well  done,  Max,"  answered  the  Colonel 
gravely  ;  "  but  that  does  not  explain  why  you  are 
both  in  this  bedraggled  condition,  —  and  who  is 
it  with  you?" 

"Pete  Labouisse,  and  I  guess  he  has  broken 
his  leg,"  Jack  answered  laconically. 

The  half-breed  had  turned  himself,  and  was 
surveying  the  party  suspiciously  from  his  dark 
eyes,  and  listening  to  every  word. 

"How  did  that  happen?" 

Jack  looked  at  Max  and  laughed.  Having 
given  his  word  not  to  betray  Pete,  he  felt  it 


"INJUN   FALLS."  339 

necessary  to  speak  guardedly.  "  Running  the 
Injun  Falls.  His  canoe  struck  a  rock,  and  got 
upset,  and — and  we  followed  him.'' 

"  Over  the  Indian  Falls ! "  interrupted  the 
Colonel. 

"  And  are  here  alive  to  tell  the  tale ! " 
exclaimed  Mr.  Holt,  supplementing  the  Colonel's 
expression  of  horror. 

"  We  really  did,"  said  Max,  "  and  Jack  saved 
Pete's  life  by  jumping  over  after  him." 

The  bewildered  elders  looked  from  one  of  the 
lads  to  the  other,  while  a  murmur  of  astonish 
ment  spread  through  the  group.  The  soaked 
garments  and  generally  exhausted  appearance  of 
the  pair  was  eloquent  testimony  to  the  truth  of 
their  statement.  Without  asking  further  ques 
tions  at. the  moment,  the  Colonel  pulled  up  the 
canoe,  and  addressing  Pete  said,  — 

"You  had  better  let  us  carry  you  up  to  the 
house,  and  see  how  much  you're  hurt." 

The  half-breed  made  no  remonstrance  to  this 
proposal,  recognizing  doubtless  that  it  was 
kindly  meant,  and  that  he  was  in  no  condition 
to  resist  his  captors..  Accordingly  the  Colonel 


340  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

and  Mr.  Holt,  who  smiled  at  thus  turning  the 
tables  on  his  enemy,  lifted  the  injured  man,  and 
carried  him  up  to  the  cabin,  followed  by  the  six 
boys,  whose  tongues  were  becoming  unloosened. 
Pete  was  laid  on  one  of  the  bunks ;  and,  after 
an  examination,  it  plainly  appeared  that  his  leg 
was  broken,  and  that  he  ought  to  be  sent  to 
the  Basin  at  once.  The  suggestion  of  this  plan 
seemed  to  alarm  the  victim  excessively.  He 
shook  his  head,  and  protested  in  vivid  patois. 

"  But  your  leg  must  be  set,"  said  the  Colonel. 
"  If  you  stay  here,  inflammation  will  set  in,  and 
you'll  die." 

"  Ya,  ya,"  said  Pete,  indicating  by  the  panto 
mime  which  accompanied  this  favorite  ejaculation 
a  preference  to  take  the  chances  of  never  getting 
well,  rather  than  go  down  to  the  village. 

Jack  and  Max,  who  had  been  whispering 
together,  now  made  signs  to  the  Colonel  and  Mr. 
Holt  to  go  out  with  them  where  they  would  be 
unobserved  by  the  prisoner. 

"  We  want  you  to  promise  something,"  said  Jack, 
acting  as  the  spokesman,  "which  is  that  Pete  shall 
not  be  put  in  prison,  or  punished  in  any  way." 


"INJUN   FALLS."  341 

44  Why  should  he  be  punished  ? "  asked  the 
Colonel  with  a  quizzical  smile.  "What  has  he 
done?" 

44 1  didn't  say  he  had  done  anything.  But  you 
will  promise,  won't  you  ? " 

44  This  is  very  mysterious.  I  don't  know  about 
passing  such  a  sweeping  act  of  indemnity.  Eh, 
Mr.  Schoolmaster  ?  " 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  as  Pete  has  been  punished 
pretty  severely,  we  may  safely  do  so,  even  to 
the  extent  of  neglecting  to  wreak  vengeance  for 
the  loss  of  the  loon,"  answered  Mr.  Holt. 

44  Well,  you  hear  what  the  Big  Injun  says, 
boys.  I  shall  not  stand  in  the  way,"  answered 
the  Colonel. 

44  That's  first-rate,"  cried  the  petitioners. 

44  But  now  that  the  pardon  is  granted,  you 
must  let  us  into  the  secret,"  said  the  master. 

Jack  and  Max  saw  no  objection  to  this;  and 
the  salmon-spearing  episode  was  unfolded  with 
as  much  detail  as  the  listeners  would  permit,  in 
view  of  the  fact  that  the  two  boys  were  still  in 
wet  clothing.  Mr.  Holt  hurried  them  off  as  soon 
as  possible  to  effect  the  necessary  changes  in 


342  JACK   IX   THE   BUSH. 

their  toilet,  while  Dubsy  was  making  elaborate 
preparations  for  the  relief  of  the  inner  man. 
The  remaining  boys  clustered  about  the  tent 
door,  and  put  all  sorts  of  questions  regarding 
the  exciting  expedition.  But  it  was  not  until 
the  hungry  heroes  had  broken  their  fast  with 
something  more  palatable  than  half-cooked  bear's 
meat,  that  their  tongues  wagged  to  the  full 
satisfaction  of  themselves  and  everybody.  It  was 
difficult  to  say  whether  the  killing  of  the  bear 
or  the  passage  over  the  falls  aroused  the  more 
enthusiasm ;  and  when  Jack  declared  he  would 
have  been  torn  to  pieces  but  for  Max's  courage, 
Max  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  Pete 
would  certainly  have  been  drowned  had  not  Jack 
jumped  overboard. 

"All's  well  that  ends  well,"  said  the  Colonel 
presently.  uYou  have  each  of  you  shown  him 
self  a  very  plucky  fellow,  and  I  haven't  the 
heart  to  indulge  much  in  criticism,  considering 
the  results  you  have  to  show.  But  it  is  cer 
tainly  a  wonder  that  either  of  you  is  here  alive. 
And  yet  admitting  that  luck  was  on  your  side 
when  you  put  yourselves  in  peril  by  attacking  a 


"INJUN  FALLS/'  343 

bear  with  a  single  cartridge  in  the  heart  of  the 
woods,  and  running  falls  that  no  boatman  would 
run,  you  have  the  right,  Max,  to  boast  of  a 
noble  piece  of  daring  when  you  risked  your  life 
to  save  your  friend's,  and  you,  Jack,  of  equal 
heroism  when  the  instinct  of  humanity  induced 
you  to  leap  into  the  swift  river  to  rescue  one 
who  had  done  you  an  injury.  However  rash,  you 
are  brave  boys,  and  I  am  proud  of  you." 

"And  so  is  the  Big  Injun,"  added  Mr.  Holt. 
"  When  the  Colonel  praises,  you  may  be  sure  that 
it  is  deserved,  my  dear  fellows.  And,  apart  from 
the  courage  displayed,  I  am  glad  to  perceive  that 
you  have  come  back  such  excellent  friends.  I 
can  see  that  all  petty  jealousies  and  mutual 
mistrust  have  vanished  into  respect  arid  hearty 
liking  for  each-  other.  Isn't  that  so?  I  don't 
need  to  ask,  for  I  can  discern  it  in  your 
eyes." 

"  Whoever  says  anything  against  Max,  will 
have  me  to  reckon  with  after  this,"  exclaimed 
Jack.  "  Though  Max  doesn't  need  assistance 
from  any  one,  I  can  tell  you  that,"  he  added 
significantly. 


344  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

Max  answered  in  a  quiet  tone,  kk  I  owe  every 
thing  to  you,  Jack." 

"  Not  more  than  I  owe  to  you,"  was  the  stout 
answer. 

"  Each  has  received  help  from  the  other  in  the 
ways  in  which  he  needed  it,"  said  Mr.  Holt, 
smiling  contentedly. 

The  other  boys,  who  had  been  awed  into 
silence  by  the  serious  turn  which  the  conversa 
tion  had  taken,  were  now  delighted  by  the 
proposal  which  the  Colonel  made,  that  three 
cheers  should  be  given  for  the  heroes  of  the 
hour.  These  were  vented  with  a  will,  and  must 
have  astonished  Pete,  who  had  been  left  to  his 
own  devices  on  the  bunk  after  having  been 
fortified  by  a  hearty  meal.  Then  Jack  and 
Max,  weary  perhaps  of  answering  questions,  began 
to  ask  them,  inquiring  concerning  the  doings  of 
the  rest  of  the  party  during  their  absence.  In 
reply  they  learned  that  the  sport  had  been  very 
satisfactory,  thirty-nine  salmon  having  been  killed, 
arid  eleven  lost.  Dandy  and  Daisy  were  reported 
as  having  behaved  themselves  in  a  tractable  man 
ner,  and  were  exhibited  in  sundry  antics  by  Torn, 


"  INJUN  FALLS."  345 

who  was  devoting  himself  to  their  education. 
Nothing  of  great  moment  had  occurred  to  vary  the 
daily  programme  of  angling  and  poling,  under 
the  influence  of  which  healthy  occupations  one 
and  all  looked  brown  as  berries. 

At  the  first  opportunity,  Jack  returned  to  the 
prisoner's  bed-side,  and  explained  to  him  that 
Colonel  Russell  had  pledged  his  word  that  no 
mention  should  be  made  of  what  had  happened 
at  the  Narrows ;  and  by  dint  of  assurances  that 
Pete  would  be  free  to  take  his  leave  the  moment 
he  was  well,  and  that  he  would  be  likely  to  lose 
his  leg  were  he  to  remain  where  he  was,  the 
half-breed  was  induced  to  consent  to  the  plan 
that  he  should  be  conveyed  to  the  Basin.  This 
accomplished,  it  became  a  question  as  to  who 
should  accompany  Pete.  Jack  and  Max  were 
eager  that  some  of  the  party  should  go  up  to 
the  Narrows  in  order  to  recover  possession  of 
Bruin.  After  consideration  it  was  agreed  that 
Dubsy  and  Haseltine  should  escort  the  half-breed, 
and  that  the  others  should  make  a  flying  trip 
up  river.  Accordingly,  as  it  was  desirable  to 
put  Pete  in  a  doctor's  hands  as  soon  as  possible. 


346  JACK   IN  THE   BUSH. 

the  canoe  was  got  ready  at  once,  and  before 
noon  Dubsy  and  Hasy  bade  good-by  to  the  Big- 
Salmon  Hole.  After  their  departure,  Jack  and 
Max,  who  could  scarcely  keep  their  eyes  open 
from  fatigue  and  drowsiness,  were  thankful  to 
creep  under  their  mosquito-nettings,  and  go 
to  sleep. 


WHO   WON    THE   RIFLE.  347 


CHAPTER    IX. 

WHO    WON   THE    RIFLE. 

Two  weeks  more  had  passed,  and  camp  was  to 
be  broken  up  for  the  last  time  on  the  morrow. 
The  river  was  getting  very  low,  and  those  salmon 
which  had  not  gone  far  up  to  spawn  were  so  logy 
that  they  would  not  even  look  at  a  fly.  By  most 
persistent  efforts  the  Colonel  had  been  able  to 
capture  but  a  single  fish  during  the  last  four  days, 
and  in  the  same  period  no  one  else  had  taken  any. 
The  heat  of  midsummer  was  upon  them,  affecting 
the  sportsmen,  as  well  as  the  game,  with  a  lack  of 
energy.  The  total  catch  to  date  amounted  to  one 
hundred  and  seventeen  salmon,  averaging  about 
twenty  pounds, — in  fact,  a  fraction  over  that 
figure, — so  that  there  was  naturally  no  incentive 
to  remain  longer  from  dissatisfaction  at  the  score. 
The  majority  of  the  fish  were  safely  buried  in 
the  ice-house.  Those  which  had  been  killed  at  the 


348  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

Narrows  had  been  transported  to  the  Big  Salmon 
Hole,  and  there  were  others  which  had  been  left 
at  camp  No.  1.  The  boys  were  looking  forward 
to  sending  home  to  their  families  and  friends  the 
finest  specimens,  and  some  had  been  "  kippered  " 
to  serve  as  smoked  salmon  after  the  fishing  season 
was  over. 

As  a  result  of  the  second  expedition  to  the 
Narrows,  Bruin  had  been  found  after  a  somewhat 
protracted  search.  The  bear's  flesh  was  spoiled, 
but  the  skin  had  proved  to  be  in  fine  condition ; 
and  the  operation  of  skinning  the  creature,  which 
the  Colonel  performed,  had  been  watched  with 
intense  interest  by  Jack  and  Max  and  Joe,  who 
were  with  him.  Although  the  plan  at  first  had 
been  that  all  should  visit  the  scene  of  the  hand-to- 
hand  encounter,  the  question  suddenly  presented 
itself  as  to  what  should  be  done  with  Dandy  and 
Daisy.  To  lead  them  through  the  woods  for  so 
long  a  distance,  was  not  to  be  thought  of  for 
a  moment,  especially  as,  owing  to  the  fact  that  a 
canoe  had  to  be  carried  up  to  take  the  place  of 
the  one  in  which  the  two  boys  had  run  the  fall,  all 
would  be  heavily  burdened.  Mr.  Holt  had  sug- 


WHO   WON   THE   RIFLE.  349 

gested,  as  what  seemed  to  him  a  happy  solution  of 
the  difficulty,  that  the  two  pets  should  be  allowed 
to  go  free ;  but  the  proposal  was  received  with  a 
round  of  horrified  exclamations.  As  for  Tom,  he 
was  very  nearly  moved  to  tears,  and  he  had 
declared  his  preference  to  remain  at  home  as  a 
keeper  rather  than  participate  in  the  expedition 
on  such  distressing  terms.  Finally  it  had  been 
arranged  that  Mr.  Holt  and  he  should  accompany 
the  others  to  the  Narrows,  and  return  to  the 
youthful  bears  before  night-fall.  In  this  way  they 
had  been  able  to  see  the  upper  river  and  the 
famous  cascade  over  which  the  two  rash  boys  had 
come  so  near  being  swept  to  a  watery  grave.  As 
the  party  stood  together  on  the  bank,  and  gazed 
at  the  sheet  of  water  dashing  down,  there  had 
been  many  expressions  of  amazement  that  the 
canoe  had  made  the  leap  without  disaster,  and 
Jack  and  Max  had  fully  realized  for  the  first  time 
their  foolhardiness. 

The  party  had  returned  to  the  Big  Salmon  Hole 
at  the  end  of  the  fifth  day  without  having  met 
with  any  important  adventures.  No  more  bears 
had  been  seen,  and  the  salmon  at  the  Narrows  had 


350  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

not  been  in  the  humor  for  rising.  They  had  taken 
only  a  few.  On  their  arrival  they  found  Hasy 
and  Dubsy,  who  had  been  at  camp  for  forty-eight 
hours,  and  who  reported  that  Pete,  after  a  tranquil 
trip  down  river,  had  been  safely  deposited  by 
them  in  the  doctor's  hands,  without  disclosures  as 
to  the  evil  doings  which  had  been  the  cause  of  his 
injury.  But,  though  close-mouthed  as  to  the 
passage  of  the  Indian  Falls,  the  two  voyagers  had 
been  unable  to  remain  silent  as  to  the  killing  of 
the  bear,  an  event  which  had  caused  the  greatest 
excitement  in  the  little  village. 

On  the  part  of  those  who  had  remained  at 
camp,  Tom  had  to  boast  of  the  killing  of  a  mink, 
a  weasel-like  creature,  which  he  had  detected  in 
the  act  of  eating  a  hole  in  a  freshly  caught  salmon. 
Tom  had  described  the  affair  with  great  gusto  to 
the  Colonel  and  the  other  boys  on  their  return. 

"I  was  sitting  eating  my  luncheon,  when  I  hap 
pened  to  glance  in  the  direction  of  the  fish,  which 
was  lying  under  shelter  of  a  shelving  rock  to 
protect  it  from  the  sun  ;  and  there  was  a  curious 
creature,  like  a  rat,  only  three  or  four  times  as 
long,  feasting  on  the  salmon.  T  would  have  liked 


WHO   WON  THE   RIFLE.  351 

to  catch  it  alive,  but  I  knew  if  I  made  any  noise 
it  would  escape.  I  didn't  even  dare  to  call  Mr. 
Holt,  who  was  only  a  short  distance  off;  but,  after 
watching  for  a  while,  I  reached  out  for  the  gun, 
and  got  a  good  aim.  Then  I  fired,  and  the  mink 
rolled  over  dead  as  Chelsea.  But  the  salmon 
looked  as  if  it  had  been  bored  out  with  an  auger, 
and  we  threw  it  overboard." 

Beyond  this  there  had  been  nothing  to  chronicle. 
And  now,  on  the  following  day,  they  were  to 
start  for  home.  All  hands  had  been  busy  during 
the  morning  in  building  a  large  raft,  on  which  the 
salmon  and  trout  collected  in  the  ice-house  were 
to  be  fastened,  and  sent  down  to  Gaspe  Basin. 
Luncheon  was  finished,  and  the  boys  had  arranged 
themselves  in  various  comfortable  postures  to  enjoy 
the  balmy  summer  afternoon,  the  last  that  they 
were  to  pass  in  the  woods.  While  they  were 
thus  sitting,  the  door  of  the  cabin  opened,  and 
Mr.  Holt  and  the  Colonel,  who  had  been  closeted 
together  since  leaving  the  table,  appeared.  The 
Colonel  carried  in  his  hand  the  rifle  which  he 
had  put  up  as  a  prize  for  the  best  sportsman. 
A  hush  of  expectancy  fell  upon  the  group  of 


352  JACK   IX   THE   BUSH. 

boys.  They  felt  that  the  interesting  question, 
as  to  which  of  them  should  become  its  owner, 
was  about  to  be  settled. 

The  two  seniors  sat  down  on  a  rustic  bench, 
and  the  Colonel  laid  the  untarnished  rifle  on  the 
table  before  him. 

"  Boys,"  said  Mr.  Holt,  glancing  pleasantly 
around  the  circle,  "of  course  you  all  remember 
the  handsome  offer  which  Colonel  Russell  made 
you  on  the  afternoon  that  we  were  approaching 
Gaspe*.  He  and  I  have  been  talking  the  matter 
over  since  luncheon,  for  it  seemed  to  us  that  the 
time  had  come  for  trying  to  arrive  at  a  decision 
as  to  which  of  you  is  entitled  to  carry  off  the 
prize.  But  our  task  has  proved  by  no  means  an 
easy  one  ;  and,  after  much  consideration,  we  have 
finally  decided  to  leave  the  matter  to  your  own 
decision.  We  prefer  that  you  boys  should  select 
by  ballot  the  one  among  you  who  you  think  is 
most  deserving  of  the  rifle.  Before  I  go  on 
further,  however,"  resumed  the  master,  who  had 
paused  for  a  moment  after  making  this  announce 
ment,  "  I  wish  to  tell  you-  all  —  and  the  Colonel 
has  asked  me  to  be  his  spokesman  —  that  we  are 


WHO  WON  THE   RIFLE.  358 

thoroughly  pleased  with  your  behavior  during 
the  weeks  we  have  spent  together.  You  have 
surpassed  our  expectations  in  showing  yourselves 
manly,  straightforward,  good-natured  fellows,  and 
you  have  the  right  to  be  proud  of  your  record 
as  sportsmen.  I  don't  mean  that  you  have  not 
done  some  foolish,  rash,  and  silly  things.  You 
would  scarcely  be  boys  if  you  hadn't ;  but,  on 
the  whole,  you  have  acquitted  yourselves  in  such 
a  manner  that  it  is  with  sincere  regret  on  our 
part  that  the  time  has  come  to  part." 

"  Hear,  hear !  "  interjected  the  Colonel. 

"  I  feel  pretty  sure  that  you  have  had  a  pleasant 
vacation ;  and  it  is  very  easy  to  see,  from  the 
improved  appearance  of  each  one  of  you,  that 
the  life  in  the  open  air  has  done  you  good.  We 
have  had  fine  sport,  and  have  been  fortunate 
enough  to  escape  mishaps.  If  you  are  not  expe 
rienced  salmon  fishermen,  you  at  least  can  land 
your  fish  in  less  time  than  five  hours.  Eh,  Jack  ?  " 

A  ripple  of  laughter  ran  around  the  circle  at 
this  sally. 

"And  now,"  continued  Mr.  Holt,  "before  you 
proceed  to  vote,  I  will  make  a  few  suggestions 


354  JACK  IX   THE   BUSH. 

for  your  guidance.  I  wish  to  remind  you,  in  the 
first  place,  that  in  most  affairs  of  life  opportunity 
and  chance  are  factors  that  have  to  be  taken 
into  account.  Of  two  men  who  start  with  equal 
abilities,  one  may  have  the  offer  of  a  position 
that  brings  into  play  his  talents,  and  makes  him 
a  name ;  while  the  other,  with  the  same  gifts, 
remains  obscure  through  lack  of  an  occasion  to 
show  what  he  can  do.  And  yet,  in  estimating 
these  two  men,  one  cannot  withhold  from  him 
who  has  done  well  his  meed  of  praise  because 
the  other  might  have  deserved  no  less  had  the 
opportunity  been  given  him.  Similarly,  when 
we  came  into  the  woods,  you  each  had  the  same 
chances  of  being  put  in  positions  which  would 
call  forth  your  sportsmanlike  qualities,  and  some 
of  you  have  been  more  fortunate  in  this  respect 
than  others.  It  would  surely  not  be  fair  that 
the  lucky  ones  should  not  have  the  benefit  of 
their  luck.  Then,  again,  while  you  ought  cer 
tainly  to  take  into  account  and  give  credit  for 
zealous  effort  to  do  well  against  disadvantages, 
you  should  not  forget  the  claims  of  natural  apti 
tude.  There  is  no  reason  that  one  who  tries 


WHO    WON   THE    RIFLE.  355 

hard  should  be  ranked  with  one  who  tries  hard 
and  has  proficiency  at  the  same  time.  In  like 
manner,  though  one  may  admire  a  little  fellow 
for  trying  to  do  a  big  fellow's  work,  it  is  false 
sentiment  to  let  pluck  and  ambition  take  the 
place  of  actual  capacity.  And  now,  if  our  plan 
strikes  you  favorably,  and  you  have  no  questions 
to  ask,  you  will  each  of  you  write  on  one  of 
these  pieces  of  paper  the  name  of  whomever 
you  select ;  and  I  will  collect  them  in  my  hat, 
and  count  them.  The  boy  who  has  the  most 
votes  shall  have  the  rifle." 

For  a  moment,  the  boys  exchanged  half-amused, 
half-shy  glances,  then  severally  they  came  forward 
to  receive  from  the  master  one  of  the  slips  in  his 
hand.  Thereupon  each  went  a  little  apart  by 
himself  to  think.  Haseltine  was  the  first  to 
reach  a  conclusion. 

"  I've  finished,"  he  cried  promptly  ;  and  folding 
his  ballot  he  dropped  it  in  the  hat. 

"So  am  I,"  said  Dubsy.  "Who  wants  my 
pencil?" 

"Could  a  fellow  vote  for  himself?"  asked  Tom 
humorously. 


356  JACK  IX   THE   BUSH. 

"  Oh,  yes,  if  he  thought  himself  the  best  man  ! " 
answered  the  Colonel,  who  had  stretched  himself 
beneath  a  tree,  and  was  watching  the  ceremony 
Avith  interest. 

"  Well,  I  guess  my  modesty  forbids,"  answered 
Tom ;  and  writing  a  name  on  his  piece  of  paper, 
he  deposited  it  at  the  same  time  that  Max  and 
Joe  presented  theirs. 

Jack  was  still  standing  pensively  with  the 
pencil  between  his  lips.  What  name  should  he 
put  down?  His  first  thought  had  been  to  vote 
for  Max ;  and  then  a  voice  had  whispered  that 
Max  was  his  most  formidable  competitor,  and 
that  a  vote  for  him  was  a  vote  against  himself. 
Why  not  vote  for  Tom  or  Hasy  ?  Both  had  done 
finely,  and,  moreover,  Hasy  was  his  particular 
friend. 

"  Come,  Jack,  we  are  waiting  for  you,"  said 
Mr.  Holt,  in  a  tone  which  almost  betrayed  knowl 
edge  of  the  struggle  which  was  going  on  in  the 
boy's  mind.  At  its  sound  Jack  started,  realizing 
in  an  instant  the  meanness  which  he  had  been 
tempted  to  commit.  With  alacrity  he  wrote 
down  in  large  letters  "Max,"  and  handed  it  to 


WHO  WON  THE  RIFLE.  357 

the  master.  Then  came  a  few  moments  of  sus 
pense,  while  Mr.  Holt,  having  emptied  his  hat 
upon  the  table,  proceeded  to  scan  the  slips  of 
paper.  The  Colonel  sat  placidly  smoking. 

"I'll  bet  one  Jock  Scott  against  three,  that  I 
can  name  the  winner,"  exclaimed  Haseltine  ,  but 
the  wager  found  no  takers. 

"It's  exciting,  isn't  it?"  said  Max,  who  was 
leaning  against  a  tree,  close  to  Jack.  His  eyes 
were  sparkling  in  proof  of  his  assertion. 

"  Yes.  I  think  you'll  win.  You  ought  to  win. 
/  voted  for  you." 

"  Thank  you,  Jack,"  Max  said,  in  reply  to  the 
blunt,  sturdy  sentences.  "  So  did  I  for  you/' 

A  rap  on  the  table  followed.  Mr.  Holt  was 
ready  to  announce  the  result.  "Whole  number 
of  ballots  cast,  six :  Jack  Hall,  three ;  Max 
Fearing,  three." 

"  A  tie  !  "  exclaimed  the  Colonel. 

"  A  tie ! "  cried  the  rest,  in  appreciative  echo. 

"What  are  they  to  do?"  asked  Tom. 

"We  couldn't  very  well  own  it  together," 
said  Jack  laughingly  to  Max.  How  happy  he 
was  that  he  had  voted  as  he  had !  He  could 


358  JACK  IN   THE  BUSH. 

not  help  reflecting  that  if  he  had  won  the  rifle 
by  such  a  device  he  would  have  felt  like  casting 
it  into  the  sea. 

"We  might  toss  up  for  it,"  said  Dubsy. 

Jack  shook  his  head.  Leaving  so  serious  a 
matter  to  chance  did  not  suit  him. 

"  We  ought  to  have  provided  for  such  a  con 
tingency,"  said  Mr.  Holt.  "  As  Jack  says,  though, 
you  can't  very  well  own  it  together." 

"I  have  an  idea,"  said  the  Colonel,  who  had 
been  puffing  reflectively.  "  Suppose  you  shoot 
for  it." 

"With  the  rifle?"  cried  Jack. 

"Ay,  ay." 

"A  capital  plan,"  said  Mr.  Holt.  "Neither  of 
the  two  has  any  advantage  in  point  of  experience. 
How  does  it  strike  you,  boys?" 

The  victorious  pair  looked  at  each  other.  "  I'm 
willing  if  you  are,  Max/' 

"  It  seems  as  fair  a  way  as  any." 

The  others  approved  highly  of  the  scheme,  and 
after  a  short  debate  the  following  arrangements 
were  made :  A  target  a  foot  square,  consisting 
of  a  piece  of  clean  wood  marked  with  a  bull's- 


WHO   WON   THE   RIFLE.  359 

eye  and  another  alternate  black  ring,  was  fastened 
against  a  tree  about  twenty-five  yards  distant. 
Each  of  the  competitors  was  to  have  three  shots ; 
and  the  one  who  hit  the  center,  or  came  nearest 
to  it,  was  to  take  the  prize.  No  shot  beyond 
the  outer  black  ring  was  to  count ;  and  in  case 
neither  of  the  marksmen  succeeded  in  planting 
a  bullet  inside  of  this,  three  more  shots  were 
to  be  fired  by  each. 

"  It's  a  match  between  two  cock-shots,"  said 
Hasy,  who,  having  had  some  practice  in  shooting 
in  the  past,  was  pleased  to  jibe.  "As  you 
couldn't  hit  a  bear  at  a  yard,  Jack,  you're  not 
likely  to  be  able  to  hit  a  bit  of  wood  at  twenty- 
five." 

"  I  did  hit  the  bear,"  was  the  answer. 

"  He  didn't  seem  to  mind  it,  though,"  exclaimed 
Tom,  taking  his  turn  at  chaffing.  "  I  think, 
Colonel  Russell,  that  a  barn-door  would  be  the 
most  sensible  thing  for  them  to  fire  at.  We  may 
not  get  away  for  a  week,  if  we  have  to  stay  until 
Jack  or  Max  hits  that  bull's-eye." 

"You  should  have  spoken  sooner,"  said  the 
Colonel,  who  had  been  busy  marking  the  target 


360  JACK   IN   THE   BUSH. 

by  means  of  some  blacking  and  some  soot  from 
the  fire-place.  "  This  is  just  ready." 

Although  neither  of  the  contestants  had  ever 
practiced  with  a  rifle  before  this  summer,  each 
of  them  had  acquired  more  or  less  proficiency 
in  shooting  at  objects  during  the  past  few  weeks, 
so  that  they  were  not  entirely  novices.  They 
were  to  fire  alternately,  and  the  choice  of  shoot 
ing  first  or  last  fell  to  Jack.  He  decided  to 
have  Max  begin. 

The  Colonel  loaded  the  new  rifle  deliberately, 
and  placed  it  in  Max's  hands.  There  was  a  hush 
of  intense  excitement  as  he  raised  it  to  his 
shoulder  and  took  aim.  Although  each  of  the 
boys,  in  voting,  had  been  able  to  arrive  at  a 
choice,  there  was  not  one  of  them  who  was  not 
glad  to  see  the  matter  settled  in  this  way.  Joe 
had  voted  for  his  brother,  but  he  had  been  con 
scious  that  Jack  had  serious  claims  on  the  prize  ; 
and  similarly  Dubsy  and  Haseltine,  though  faith 
ful  to  their  friend,  could  not  deny  that  Max  was 
a  close  second.  Tom,  too,  had  finally  selected 
the  slayer  of  Bruin  in  preference  to  Pete's  rescuer 
only  after  grave  hesitation. 


WHO  WON   THE   RIFLE.  361 

There  came  a  sharp  report,  and  immediately 
the  whole  party  dashed  forward  to  inspect  the 
result  of  Max's  tirst  shot.  A  score  of  eyes  were 
riveted  on  the  target,  but  not  one  of  them  could 
discern  a  trace  of  the  rifle-ball. 

"  Cracky  !  He  hasn't  even  hit  the  tree,"  cried 
Haseltine,  convulsed  with  mirth. 

So  it  certainly  appeared.  Neither  the  rings  nor 
the  bark  of  the  pine  trunk  were  scarred.  There  was 
much  merriment,  and  poor  Max  blushed  vividly. 

"You  were  too  nervous.  You'll  do  better  next 
time,"  said  Mr.  Holt  kindly. 

All  retraced  their  steps,  and  it  was  now  Jack's 
turn.  He  reflected  that  he  could  not  do  worse 
than  Max,  but  lie  felt  by  no  means  confident  of 
being  able  to  succeed  better.  However,  he  put  on 
a  determined  front.  He  would  not,  if  possible,  be 
thwarted  by  nervousness.  So  he  received  the 
freshly  loaded  rifle  with  studied  calm,  and  began 
to  scrutinize  the  glittering  barrel  and  the  adroit 
breech-loading  action. 

"  Is  it  allowable  to  fire  sitting  ?  "  he  asked  the 
Colonel. 

"  Yes.     You  may  sit  down  or  lie  down,  and  you 


362  JACK  IN  THE   BUSH. 

may  rest  the  rifle  in  any  way  you  choose,  provided 
you  rest  it  against  some  part  of  the  body." 

"  Oh ! "  said  Jack,  as  though  he  regarded  this 
sanction  as  a  boon ;  and  consequently  he  pro 
ceeded  to  test  the  advantages  of  various  squatting 
and  recumbent  postures.  He  even  tried  support 
ing  the  muzzle  upon  his  crossed  knees,  after  the 
manner  of  the  methods  of  noted  marksmen  con 
cerning  which  he  had  read.  But  somehow  none 
of  these  experiments  inspired  him  with  confidence. 
By  the  time  he  had  risen  to  his  feet  again,  he  had 
decided  to  aim  in  the  ordinary  way,  which  he  did 
with  precision. 

-Bang!" 

Away  flew  the  reconnoiterers ;  and  again  there 
was  blank  staring  at  the  target,  which  made  Jack 
feel  decidedly  uneasy.  He  was  straining  his  own 
eyes  to  discover  a  bullet -hole,  but  in  vain. 
Another  shout  of  derision  was  uttered  by  Hasy. 
He  had  missed,  too,  after  all  this  preparation. 

"  No  advantage  on  either  side  so  far,"  said  the 
Colonel  with  a  laugh.  Both  of  the  contestants 
looked  decidedly  sheepish ;  and  Max,  as  he  raised 
the  rifle  for  the  second  time,  was  the  victim  of 


WHO   WON   THE   RIFLE.  363 

numerous  guying  remarks,  which  Mr.  Holt  checked 
by  a  considerate  "  Hush  !  You  may  unsteady  his 
aim." 

"  It  couldn't  be  worse  than  it  is,"  said  Torn, 
below  his  breath. 

Nevertheless,  there  was  dead  silence  before 
Max  pulled  the  trigger. 

A  moment  later  Hasy,  who  had  darted  ahead 
and  was  examining  the  mark,  cried  eagerly,  — 

"  He  has  hit  it." 

Such  was  the  case.  There  were  the  evident 
marks  of  a  ball  in  the  middle  of  the  white  ring 
next  to  the  bull's-eye. 

"  Not  a  bad  shot,  by  any  means,"  said  the 
Colonel.  "  You'll  have  to  shoot  well  to  improve 
on  it,  Jack,"  he  added. 

"I  fear  that  my  goose  is  cooked,"  replied  our 
hero  a  little  despondently. 

"Nonsense,"  said  Mr.  Holt.  "That  doesn't 
sound  like  you,  Jack." 

"  It  doesn't  mean  I'm  not  going  to  try  hard  all 
the  same,"  was  the  answer. 

"  That's  the  right  spirit,"  said  Colonel  Russell 
pleasantly. 


364  JACK   IN   THE    BUSH. 

Crack  went  the  rifle  again. 

44  I  saw  the  wood  fly,"  crie'cl  Dubsy. 

"Hurrah!"  The  cheer  gladdened  Jack's  heart 
as  he  reached  the  tree. 

"  You've  hit  it.  Same  ring,  but  a  little  nearer," 
exclaimed  several  voices  together. 

44  So  I  have,"  said  Jack,  as  he  scanned  the  target. 
The  ball  had  struck  in  the  white  on  the  opposite 
side  to  Max's,  and,  though  there  was  very  little 
difference  between  them,  it  was  plainly  the  nearer 
of  the  two  to  the  center. 

"•  Good  enough,  Jack,"  said  Max.  "  1  can't 
beat  that." 

44  I'm  afraid  you  will,  though." 

There  were  no  more  remarks  about  cock-shots. 
Ridicule  had  changed  to  absorbed  attention,  as 
Max  took  his  position  for  his  final  shot. 

"  I  think  I  missed,"  he  said,  as  the  report  echoed 
through  the  hills. 

"  Bull's-eye  !  " 

"  Is  it,  though  ?     Which  is  it  ?     Hurrah  !  " 

"  Is  it  on  the  line  ?  Hard  to  tell,  though. 
Mighty  close." 

44  Just  on  the  line,  I  should  say." 


WHO   WON  THE   RIFLE.  365 

The  last  exclamation  came  from  the  Colonel, 
and,  as  was  apt  to  be  the  case,  was  decisive. 
Careful  scrutiny  showed  that  the  ball  had 
penetrated  the  line,  dividing  the  center  from 
the  inner  circle.  But,  though  not  a  plump 
bull's-eye  shot,  it  was  an  improvement  on  any 
of  the  others,  and  could  be  beaten  only  by 
one. 

"What  did  I  tell  you,  Max?"  said  Jack. 

"  T  was  lucky." 

Despite  this  modest  assertion,  Max  could  not 
help  looking  pleased,  though  he  showed  no  undue 
signs  of  elation;  and  it  was  pardonable  that  poor 
Jack,  who  had  set  his  heart  on  winning,  should 
feel  a  trifle  galled.  He  resolutely  bit  his  lip, 
which  was  quivering  despite  his  every  wish  to 
seem  cool  and  indifferent,  and  stalked  silently 
back  to  the  spot  from  which  he  was  to  fire.  But, 
though  well  aware  that  the  chances  of  victory 
were  very  much  against  him,  he  took  the  rifle  in 
hand  with  the  fixed  purpose  to  strain  every  nerve 
to  win.  There  was  an  impressive  stillness  as  he 
aimed,  and  to  those  wiio  were  watching  it  seemed 
as  though  the  report  Avould  never  come. 


JACK  IN  THE  BUSH. 

After  firing,  he  stood  still  and  let  the  others  run 
forward.  He  did  not  care  to  look.  He  had 
waited  before  pulling  the  trigger  until  he  had 
covered  the  black  spot  precisely,  and  he  felt  that 
he  could  do  no  more. 

"  Hurrah  —  Jack  —  Jack  —  bull's-eye  —  you've 
hit  the  bull's-eye  —  'rah,  'rah,  'rah  —  bull's-eye — ' 
first-rate  —  right  in  the  center."  A  babel  of  voices 
rang  in  his  ears,  and  in  another  instant  Hasy  and 
Dubsy  were  shaking  his  hands  as  though  they 
would  pull  them  off. 

"  You've  won.  You've  hit  the  bull's-eye  plump 
in  the  middle,"  one  of  them  exclaimed,  in  answer 
to  his  wondering  expression. 

There  could  be  no  doubt  of  it  now.  The 
Colonel  was  advancing  to  meet  him  with  out 
stretched  hand. 

"  Well  done,  well  done,  Jack.  The  odds 
against  you  were  enough  to  unsteady  a  practiced 
eye,  and  you  have  won  grandly." 

Half  laughing,  half  crying  with  excitement,  he 
made  his  way  to  the  target  to  see  with  his  own 
eyes  what  he  had  done.  Max  was  still  smiling, 
and  his  congratulatory  grip  was  the  heartiest  of 


WHO   WON   THE   RIFLE.  367 

all,  though  one  could  see  he  was  badly  dis 
appointed,  as  was  to  be  expected. 

"  Well,  you  deserve  the  rifle,  anyway,  Jack," 
he  was  generous  enough  to  say.  "  You're  natu 
rally  a  sportsman,  and  I'm  only  a  manufactured 
one.  What  Mr.  Holt  said  about  natural  aptitude 
was  perfectly  true." 

Jack  was  too  bewildered  and  excited  at  the 
moment  to  dispute  the  point,  but  his  glad  look 
assured  Max  of  his  gratitude.  He  put  his  finger 
into  the  bullet-hole.  As  they  had  told  him,  the 
ball  had  hit  exactly  in  the  center  of  the  bull's- 
ej'e. 

"  The  rifle  is  your  property  now,"  said  the 
Colonel.  "It  is  a  good  one,  I  assure  you." 

"  I'll  shoot  you  a  match  for  it,  —  best  three 
shots  in  five,"  exclaimed  Haseltine  jauntily. 

The  victor  laughed,  and  shook  his  head. 

"  Jack  is  willing  to  let  well  enough  alone,"  said 
the  master,  "  and  you  can  hardly  blame  him.  With 
due  respect  to  his  skill,  he  would  not  be  likely 
to  duplicate  that  last  shot  in  a  hurry." 

It  is  not  agreeable  to  bid  farewell  to  a  pleasant 
scene.  Although,  owing  to  the  long  absence  from 


368  JACK  IX   THE   BUSH. 

civilization,  all  felt  that  soft  beds  and  home 
cookery,  and  even  brick  sidewalks,  would  not 
be  uncongenial,  there  was  no  one  of  the  party 
on  the  following  day  who  did  not  feel  regret  to 
see  the  picturesque  banks  slip  away  on  either 
side,  as  the  canoes  glided  swiftly  down  to  Gaspd 
Basin.  The  raft  was  sent  ahead  soon  after  break 
fast,  and  they  followed  shortly.  It  was  all  down 
hill  work,  so  to  speak,  and  the  miles  made  sport 
of  the  hours.  It  seemed  but  a  very  brief  time 
before  camp  No.  1  was  reached,  where  a  landing 
was  made  to  take  a  last  glimpse  at  the  familiar 
sights.  Perfect  quiet  reigned  over  the  neighbor 
hood  of  the  little  cabin,  and  there  were  no 
evidences  that  the  mother  bear  had  returned  in 
search  of  her  young.  A  few  fish  which  had  been 
left  in  the  ice-house  were  taken  on  board,  and 
then  the  paddles  were  resumed,  and  the  canoes 
sped  again  on  their  way.  The  fall  in  the  river 
since  they  had  ascended  it  was  very  noticeable. 
There  were  bare  patches  of  stones  where  then 
there  had  been  a  swift  rapid.  In  some  places  the 
middle  of  the  bed  was  quite  bare,  and  the  water 
flowed  in  a  narrow  channel  on  either  side.  Twice 


WHO   WON   THE    RIFLE.  369 

the  raft  was  discovered  aground  and  sent  on  its 
way. 

At  last  there  were  no  more  rapids ;  the  river 
widened  and  became  stiller,  and  the  nets  were 
reached.  The  first  house  and  the  first  horse 
excited  interest,  and  presently  their  nostrils 
caught  the  savor  of  the  sea.  The  air  felt  cooler, 
too,  so  that  those  who  were  not  paddling  were 
glad  to  put  on  their  jackets.  Their  approach 
had  been  heralded  by  the  salmon,  so  that  Annette 
was  at  his  landing  waiting. 

It  was  pleasant  to  the  boys  to  stretch  their 
cramped  limbs  in  a  good  run  up  the  bank,  and 
across  the  fields  green  with  the  bounty  of  summer. 
It  did  not  take  George  Coffin  long  to  learn  of 
their  arrival,  and  to  put  in  an  appearance  with 
the  trotter  and  his  other  team  to  take  their 
belongings  down  to  the  "Admiral,"  which  was 
to  sail  that  evening,  as  they  knew.  And  with 
him  came  old  William,  one  vast  grin  of  pleasure, 
and  the  stalwart  Jimmy,  eager  to  hear  and  see  the 
results  of  the  expedition.  Much  of  the  news  had 
been  gleaned  from  Pete's  escort,  so  that  congratu 
lations  were  in  order. 


370  JACK  IN  THE  BUSH. 

"  And  so  you  killed  a  bear,  after  all ! "  said 
William  to  Jack. 

"  It  was  Max  who  killed  him.  I  tried  to,  bu  c  I 
didn't  succeed." 

"  I  know,  I  know.  I  heard  all  about  it,*'  said 
the  old  guide,  nodding  delightedly. 

"  There's  something,  though,  you  haven't  heard," 
said  the  Colonel,  "which  is  that  these  two  same 
young  scapegraces  took  it  into  their  heads  to 
run  the  Indian  Falls." 

"  The  Injun  Falls !  I  guess  not,"  exclaimed 
Jimmy.  "  That's  too  tall  a  story  even  for  us  to 
swallow,  Colonel." 

u  They  did  it,  though,"  said  Mr.  Holt ;  "  and,  as 
I've  repeated  to  them  many  times  already,  it's  a 
wonder  they're  alive  to  tell  the  tale." 

"  That's  gospel  truth,"  said  Jimmy.  "  Run 
them  Injun  Falls  !  And  you  broke  noth- 
ing?" 

"  We  took  in  lots  of  water,"  answered  Jack. 

"  And  she  leaked  afterwards,"  said  Max. 

"  Yes,  I  guess  she  did,"  said  the  Colonel  with  a 
laugh. 

"  You  boys  can't  be   beat,"  said   old  William, 


WHO   WON   THE   RIFLE.  371 

who,  dazed  by  the  astounding  statement,  had 
been  unable  to  utter  a  word. 

"But  what  made  you  run  'em?"  asked  Jimmy, 
still  aghast. 

"  Oh,  we  thought  we  would  !  "  said  Jack  coolly. 
"  You  told  me  once  you  thought  they  could  be 
run." 

The  guides,  whatever  their  suspicions,  had  to 
be  satisfied  with  this  explanation.  Dubsy  arid 
Hasy,  at  the  time  they  brought  down  the  half- 
breed,  had  obeyed  instructions  by  stating  simply 
that  he  had  been  saved  from  drowning  in  one 
of  the  rapids  by  Jack;  and,  though  questioned 
adroitly,  they  had  managed  not  to  betray  their 
prisoner.  It  was  Hasy  who  now  turned  the 
conversation  by  inquiring, — 

"  How's  Pete  ?  " 

"  He's  mending  fast,"  said  George.  "I  see  him 
sitting  at  his  shanty  door  sunning  himself  yester 
day,  and  he  wanted  to  know  when  I  expected 
you  down  river." 

"He  might  have  never  come  down  himself, 
and  there VI  have  been  mighty  little  mourning," 
said  Jimmy,  in  which  caustic  sentiment  he  was 


872  JACK   IX  THE   BUSH. 

supported  by  a  growl  from  his  father,  that  spoke 
volumes. 

There  was  no  time  for  further  conversation  at 
the  moment,  as  the  traps  had  to  be  stowed  in  the 
cart,  and  preparations  made  for  departure ;  but 
when  the  white  horse  had  begun  to  trot,  the  ears 
of  George  were  delighted  with  abundant  details 
concerning  the  summer  school,  which  were 
repeated  and  supplemented  when  they  were  all 
gathered  around  Mrs.  Dumaresque's  ample  hearth 
after  supper.  The  guides  were  fairly  entranced 
by  the  description  of  the  encounter  with  Bruin, 
and  the  wonderful  passage  of  the  falls,  the 
occasion  of  which  was  kept  shrouded  in  mystery 
to  the  end.  Pete  was  seen,  and  cheered  by  a 
present  of  money,  in  return  for  which  he  gave 
assurance  that  seemed  genuine  of  a  wish  to 
renounce  salmon-spearing,  and  set  up  as  an 
honest  cobbler.  The  guides  boxed  up  for  trans 
portation,  in  quantities  of  snow-ice,  a  number  of 
the  largest  fish ;  and  Dandy  and  Daisy,  having 
been  the  recipients  of  much  admiration,  were 
safely  convoyed  on  board  ship  in  advance  of  their 
owners,'  who  lingered  to  the  last,  loath  to  leave 


WHO   WOX   THE   RIFLE.  373 

such  pleasant  scenes.  But  all  things  delightful 
must  have  their  end ;  and  the  whistle  of  the 
"  Admiral "  warned  the  still  prattling  boys,  who 
had  not  half  exhausted  their  adventures,  that 
the  hour  for  departure  was  at  hand.  The  leave- 
taking  was  genuinely  regretful  on  either  side  ;  and 
when  the  wharf  was  reached,  old  Joe  Eden,  to 
whom  a  fine  salmon  had  been  sent,  was  there 
to  wish  them  a  prosperous  voyage,  and  to  express 
the  general  hope  of  the  village,  that  they  would 
all  return  another  summer.  The  second  whistle 
cut  short  his  eloquence,  and  the  Colonel  turning 
to  George  asked,  — 

"  Are-  the  fish  aboard  ?  " 

"Everything,  Colonel.  Fish,  rods,  bags, — 
nothing  left  behind." 

"  Well,  time  we  were  off." 

But  Mr.  Eden  detained  him  by  the  button. 
"  Great  story  that  they're  telling  down  at  Camp- 
bellton  about  one  of  your  young  gentlemen." 

"  What  story  is  that,  Joe  ?  " 

"  Why,  they  say  he  was  twenty-four  hours 
landing  that  fish,  and  that  he  had  three  square 
meals  over  him." 


374  JACK  IN   THE   BUSH. 

4fc  Do  you  hear  that,  Jack  Hall?"  cried  the 
Colonel,  as  he  burst  into  a  peal  of  laughter,  in 
which  every  one  joined;  and  before  the  merriment 
had  subsided,  they  were  crossing  the  gang-plank 
of  the  "Admiral." 

"  Good-by,  Colonel  Russell.  Good-by,  Mr.  Holt. 
Good-by,  boys." 

"  Good-by,  George,  good-by." 

"  Good-by,  William." 

"  Good-by,  Jimmy." 

Joe  Eden,  too,  and  many  others  are  shouting 
and  waving.  The  smoke-stack  puffs  vigorously, 
sending  out  a  train  of  fiery  cinders.  The  voices 
grow  fainter,  the  figures  fade  into  the  night,  and 
the  summer  school  is  steaming  away  from  Gasp6 
Basin. 


£D1THA'S 

BURGLAR. 


Mrs.  Frances  Hodgson  Burnett. 


15    ILLUSTRATIONS  BY 

Henry  Sandbam. 


HOUSEKEEPERS 
AND  HOMEMAKERS. 

BY 

Sallie  Joy  White. 


JACK   HALL; 


OR,   THE    SCHOOLDAYS    OF    AN 
AMERICAN    BOY. 


Robert  Grant. 


YB  7453 


